5 teams that could pull shocking upsets in Week 1 of 2024 CFB season
One of the most exciting parts of college football is upsets. Whether it's Appalachian State over Michigan or Boise State over Oklahoma, fans (except those of the favorite) love Davids knocking off Goliath. The 2024 season is probably not going to be any different. Here are five teams (all double-digit underdogs) that could pull off significant upsets in college football Week 1.
5 teams that could pull upsets in Week 1 of 2024 college football season
1. Hawaii (13.5-point underdog hosting UCLA)
Playing at Hawaii isn't really like any other trip a college football team makes. The Rainbow Warriors return Brayden Schager at QB. He passed for 3,542 yards and 26 scores a year ago. Hawaii will also play a Week 0 game against Delaware State, so it will have that game of experience.
Meanwhile, UCLA isn't very good and will be playing its first game under new head coach DeShaun Foster. Foster seemed overwhelmed at Big Ten media days. Hawaii upset Arizona to open the 2019 season and could pick up another surprise win.
2. Georgia Southern (11.5-point underdog hosting Boise State)
As mentioned above, Boise was one of the hunters, but now its program has become elite in its own right. Meanwhile, under Clay Helton, Georgia Southern went from an option-based approach to passing for 329 and 302 yards per game over the last two seasons.
Meanwhile, Boise will have to travel cross-country to play Georgia Southern, in what will likely be sweltering Georgia heat. There are a couple of reasons to think the Eagles have a chance at a big upset here.
3. Ohio (17-point underdog at Syracuse)
Ohio has posted back-to-back 10-win seasons in the MAC. Yes, the Bobcats lost a ton of talent, but it seems like coach Tim Albin has built a solid backbone for his program. A year ago, Ohio gave up just 15.8 points per game and hung around all of its games.
Meanwhile, Syracuse is probably a bit overrated. It just underwent a coaching change, which is always a point of vulnerability. New QB Kyle McCord couldn't win big games at Ohio State, so he seems unlikely to have much success at Syracuse. There are plenty of questions about Ohio, but there probably should be more about Syracuse.
4. Florida Atlantic (11.5-point underdog at Michigan State)
Coach Tom Herman likely has Florida Atlantic on a nice rebuilding track. New FAU QB Cam Fancher had some nice moments at Marshall, and FAU was competent defensively a year ago.
Meanwhile, Michigan State is still crawling out from under the Mel Tucker mess. New coach Jonathan Smith (which, again, is not a good thing) will have to vastly retool an offense that managed just 15.9 points per game a year ago. Michigan State could be vulnerable to this upset.
5. FIU (20-point underdog at Indiana)
Mike MacIntyre's FIU team will be competitive in the CUSA this year. The third-year coach has built up his roster, and returning QB Keyone Jenkins got some meaningful experience last season.
Meanwhile, Indiana has a new coach (note that theme) and has come off a three-season run of 9-27. A year ago, it took Indiana four overtimes to outlast Akron. The year before, it took overtime to best Western Kentucky. Meanwhile, Indiana lost to Idaho in 2021 and 2022 as 31 and 24 1/2-point favorites. The Hoosiers might be in trouble.
Which Week 1 upsets do you think might land in college football? Share your picks and thoughts below in our comments section!