Countdown to College Football The season has begun as Week 0 begins with a handful of games on Saturday, August 24.
Opening day is just a few weeks away, “Bet the bear” is also continuing the countdown to the 2024 season.
Last week, the “Bear Bets” team share their favorite total winning bets and long-term Heisman bets.
This week, Chris “Bear” Fallica And Geoff Schwartz was joined by Collin Wilson of “The Action Network” to discuss their favorite picks for the College Football Playoff and the teams they’re considering ahead of the 2024 season.
Let’s explore this interesting thing.
The first coaches poll for the 2024 season was released on Monday. Which top-10 team are you most interested in heading into the season?
Bear: State of Florida
“You have 10 starters back. You lost almost everyone on defense. Are we sure? DJ Uiagalelei are a Power 4 quarterback? All new skill position players. You’ve got Clemson game. You go to University of Economics and Technology. You go to Miami. You go to Notre Dame. The Florida game at the end of the year, who knows what can happen in that game.”
Wilson: Michigan
“There are four teams that I don’t think will fall out of the top 10: Miss Ole, Penn State, Georgia And Oregon The schedule says they’re going to win 10 games. I think they have depth.
“Michigan doesn’t have a quarterback who can throw the ball. You’re going to live. Jack TuttleOr are you going to do what you did against Penn State in the second half and just run the ball between tackles the whole time, and not let your quarterback throw the ball? That’s not sustainable.”
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Which surprise team do you think will miss out on the College Football Playoff?
Wilson: Texas (+172 to miss the play-offs)
“I have Texas Under 9.5 to win on an alternate line. It’s +160 there. When Steve Sarkisian came to Austin, he exploded. He was fourth in touchdown percentage in the restricted area. Last year, that number dropped to 120.
“This team is not very good, and when you don’t have Byron Murphy And T’Vondre Sweat On the inside defensive end, you can’t put seven guys in the zone. I think Texas is going to be in trouble.”
Which team do you think is overpriced to make the College Football Playoff?
Wilson: Ohio State (-700)
“There are a lot of moving pieces on this team, and there’s a lot that none of us can see. We don’t know what the addition of Quinshon Judkins in that locker room because it wasn’t good at Ole Miss. He had offensive players that just left him on the field and didn’t want to help him. … Will Howard not a deep ball thrower. He has as many big plays as he does big plays when you look at passes over 20 yards.
“The pricing is terrible. Can anyone tell me why this team is -700 to make the Playoffs and Oregon is -300 to make the Playoffs, yet they have the same win total?”
What about the Big 12 — are there any conference titles or CFP-related bets you like within the conference?
Bear: UCF to do CFP (+1300)
“I think everyone here is just assuming it’s going to be State of Utah or State of Kansas win the conference, but I think this is a conference that you might want to look a little deeper into. If you’re looking for someone who’s really off the map for the Playoffs, I think two teams that aren’t getting votes right now or are getting a few votes that could be dark horses are UCF and State of Iowa“
Wilson: Bet Utah will make the CFP instead of winning the Big 12 (+240)
“You know, this is a nine-win schedule and Utah could be a 10-win team. Not only do they have a record of multiple Pac-12 championships, but they don’t want to have a home game at Rice-Eccles Stadium? Oh my gosh, that’s great. But I think they’ll have a good enough record. I don’t think experience matters.”
Which team outside the top 25 do you think is most likely to surprise and make the top 10?
Wilson: SMU or Rutgers
“SMU has moved to a portal–heavy in the trenches. Rhett Lashlee has something going on there. Ridiculous defensive numbers — I’m talking top 10 in everything from marginal yards and coverage. Man, they’ve been blessed by the scheduling gods in the ACC. I predict them to win 9.5 games.
“The other team is Rutgers. You want to talk about coming out of the Big Ten East division and having the most experience on both sides of the ball in this conference — oh my gosh. Something’s going on there.”
Which non-power conference team do you think will make it to the CFP?
Wilson: Appalachian State (+1400)
“They’re a Sun Belt class. Texas State is getting a lot of love. They have a game on the schedule against Clemson, and given what App State did against North Carolina and where that game is on the schedule, if they can play well, maybe lose by one possession or defend the game and play well there, they can win the rest of the schedule, and they can do it.”
James Franklin on adjusting to the Big Ten’s new look
What are your best bets regarding the College Football Playoff?
The Bear: Penn State to make CFP (-140)
“There’s no team more suited to the expanded playoffs than Penn State. If you go back eight years, they’ve been to the playoffs in this scenario six times. Seven straight losses to Ohio State wouldn’t matter. They’re not playing Michigan this year. The defense is still well equipped.”
Schwartz: State of Iowa to do CFP (+790)
“Iowa won 10 regular-season games last season, averaging 15 points per game. If they just got a little better offensively, what would they be? A 10-win team, easy. They have Ohio State [on the schedule]. Tough game; will lose that game. No Oregon, Michigan, Penn State or University of Southern California. Their schedule is extremely easy.”
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