The college football season is quickly approaching. And much like NFL, I have started to dive into my favorite futures bets for the 2023 college football season.
Below are my three favorite teams that I am targeting.
Penn State Nittany Lions
The Penn State Nittany Lions enter the 2023 season with reasonably high expectations.
Penn State has enjoyed tons of regular season success in the James Franklin era, but their issue has been winning the big game.
Penn State is yet to reach the college football playoffs, but this could be their season.
The main reason for that is Penn State signal caller Drew Allar.
Allar sat behind former Nittany Lion and now Green Bay Packer Sean Clifford a season ago. Still, from a talent standpoint, Allar is the most skilled QB that James Franklin has ever been able to coach.
Entering the season, Allar ranks as the second-best pocket passer in all of college football. But the rest of the squad stacks up with some of the best rosters in the conference.
- Drew Allar (QB)
- Olu Fashanu (OT)
- Kalen King (CB)
- Nick Singleton (RB)
- Adbul Carter (LB)
- Adisa Issac (DE)
- KeAndre Lambert-Smith (WR)
- Chop Robinson (DE)
The backbone of this Penn State team has been their defense over the years, and they are slated to have a top-level defense once again this year. The defensive line for State ranks in the top five entering the year with stars at every level, and they’re led by former Miami Hurricanes head coach Manny Diaz.
Penn State running back Nick Singleton is tackled by freshman linebacker Ta'Mere Robinson (24) while running the ball during the Blue-White game at Beaver Stadium on Saturday, April 15, 2023, in State College. 230415 Hes Dr Bluewhite
One of those stars is sophomore DT Zane Durant, who NFL scouts will have an eye on all season long. And they have some big games on the schedule for him to showcase his skills.
- Week 1 vs. West Virginia
- Week 4 vs. Iowa
- Week 8 @ Ohio State
- Week 11 vs. Michigan
- Week 13 @ Michigan State
Pick: Penn State Over 9.5 Wins (-135, DraftKings)
Overall the Nittany Lions have a favorable schedule, and there is a very good chance that the Nittany Lions will open the year 6-0 before they go to Ohio State. The toughest games of the season come on the back end, and I feel that will favor a young quarterback like Drew Allar.
Penn State has had one of the best defenses in football over the last few years, but their issue has been keeping pace from an offensive standpoint. That is no longer an issue for PSU, with Allar leading the charge.
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Florida State Seminoles
The Florida State Seminoles enter their 2023 campaign with extremely high expectations.
It has been a long time since this program was at the top of college football, but they enter the year feeling like they can get to the top of the mountain this season.
HC Mike Norvell had his best year last season, which should get the critics off his back. Plus, his new recruits should give him even more job security once they’re on the field for the Seminoles.
- Jordan Travis (QB )
- Jared Verse (DE)
- Akeem Dent (S)
- Johnny Wilson (WR)
- Kalen DeLoach (LB)
- Robert Cooper (DT)
- Trey Benson Jr (RB)
Jared Verse is a projected top-five pick entering the season. He’s one of the most talented players on the defensive side, as scouts can not get enough of him.
Apr 15, 2023; Tallahassee, FL, USA; Florida State Seminoles quarterback Jordan Travis (13) throws the ball during the spring game at Doak Campbell Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Melina Myers-USA TODAY Sports
Jordan Travis enters the year seen as one of the top quarterbacks in all of college football. Travis brings talent and experience to the field this season, hoping to lead the Seminoles to a double-digit win. Travis will have some uber-talented athletes to work with in the form of Johnny Wilson and Trey Benson Jr.
Pick: Florida State Under 10.5 wins (-130, DraftKings)
I was high on the Seminoles a season ago. And while I believe that this team will enjoy success this season, they cannot get to eleven wins. Just look at their strength of schedule.
- Week 1 vs. LSU
- Week 4 @ Clemson
- Week 6 vs. Virginia Tech
- Week 8 vs. Duke
- Week 9 @ Wake Forest
- Week 11 vs. Miami
- Week 13 @ Florida
The best case scenario I see for Florida State is a 10-3 campaign.
Their week one game vs. LSU will be a coin flip, and from a betting standpoint, the Seminoles will be a short favorite since they are at home.
Week four vs. Clemson will be their toughest task of the season, and while they will have an opportunity to win that game, I would be surprised if they do.
Duke is a team that will surprise many people this season, and that week eight game could be a good upset spot.
Miami is slated to be a top twenty-five team this year, and that is another game that should be a coin flip.
In their final game of the season, they will have to go into the swap and knock off Florida, which is a challenging task, even if they are the better team.
Overall I see too many factors not to take the under on the Seminoles this season.
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Vanderbilt Commodores
It has been tough to be a Commodores fan over the last decade, and Vanderbilt comes into the 2023 campaign seen as one of the worst teams in the SEC.
The last time Vanderbilt produced a winning season was in 2013 when the Commodores went 9-4 under current Penn State head coach James Franklin.
Despite ending the year under .500 in 2022, it was the best year for Vandy since 2018, as they ended with an overall record of 5-7.
The Commodores will be led by head coach Clark Lea, who will lead the team in his third year. Lea is a native of Nashville, Tennessee, and will have most of the players that he recruited on the field this season.
- AJ Swann (QB)
- Sedrick Alexander (RB)
- Will Sheppard (WR)
- De’Rickey Wright (S)
- Jayden McGowan (WR)
- Jaylen Mahoney (S)
- Christian James (DT)
- Kane Patterson (LB)
Sophomore quarterback AJ Swann is the man that will likely lead the offense in Week 1.
Vanderbilt quarterback AJ Swann (13) throws a pass against Tennessee during the third quarter at FirstBank Stadium Saturday, Nov. 26, 2022, in Nashville, Tenn. Ncaa Football Tennessee Volunteers At Vanderbilt Commodores
Swann started in five games for the Commodores and put up decent numbers throwing for ten touchdowns and just two interceptions. His top weapon will be senior WR Will Sheppard, who ended last season with 776 receiving yards and nine touchdowns.
The defense for Vandy struggled a season ago, but they feel as if they are much deeper this season from a depth standpoint.
Pick: Vanderbilt Over 3.5 Wins (-161, Caesars)
As we enter the season, I am higher than most on this Vandy team, and we can squeeze four wins out of them.
Vanderbilt has an offense that is more than capable of putting up big-time numbers, which they have struggled to do in years past.
Swann has another year of experience under his belt, which will be key, and he has three wide receivers that are high-level playmakers.
Clark Lea took over a poor roster, and now in his third season, we will finally see most of his recruits on the field.
On defense, I feel as if they will be much better than a season ago and keep them in games.
Vanderbilt has an extremely favorable schedule to begin the year, as they will be favored in three of their first four games. I feel Vandy can steal two or three wins in the conference. They will get blown out of a few games this year, but below, I put together a list of games that they will be favored to win or have a good chance of winning.
- Week 1 vs. Hawaii
- Week 2 vs. Alabama A&M
- Week 3 @ Wake Forest
- Week 4 @ UNLV
- Week 5 vs. Kentucky
- Week 6 vs. Missouri
- Week 11 vs. Auburn
This line is far too low, and we will see Vanderbilt end the season with four or five wins.
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