Predicting College Football’s Biggest Upsets for the 2019 Season

One of the exciting things about watching college football is the potential for the shocking upset. Whether it is Central Michigan going to down to Oklahoma State and swiping a win, North Texas routing Arkansas in Fayetteville or Auburn returning a missed field goal for a touchdown to beat Alabama, this is a sport that often features crazy endings that end up demolishing the fortunes of those who placed a lot of their College Football betting money on those contests. We have a few games for you to consider as you think about which games might turn into upsets this 2019 College Football season.

Predicting College Football’s Biggest Upsets for the 2019 Season

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— Barrett Sallee (@BarrettSallee) August 6, 2019

Clemson at Syracuse (September 14)

Two years ago, Syracuse beat the Tigers up at the Carrier Dome, and they almost did it again last year in Death Valley. Syracuse led 23-13, and quarterback Trevor Lawrence was on the Clemson bench. Backup Chase Brice led a pair of scoring drives, with Travis Etienne rumbling into the end zone on both, scoring the winning touchdown with just 41 seconds remaining in the fourth period. You better believe that Syracuse will be up for this game.

Washington State vs Houston (September 13)

Houston plays two Power 5 teams this year, opening at Oklahoma and playing Washington State in Week 3. The Cougars have quarterback D’Eriq King, who scored 50 touchdowns in 2018, and they get Washington State at home, moving across town to the larger NRG Stadium, home of the NFL’s Texans. Washington State will have played New Mexico State and Northern Colorado, so the Cougars could deliver a shocker, as neither Houston nor Washington State believes much in defense.

Colorado State at Arkansas (September 14)

Arkansas led Colorado State 27-9 last season in their matchup in Fort Collins, but then the Rams reeled off 25 unanswered points to steal the win. SMU fans were all too familiar with the sight of a team coached by Chad Morris having absolutely nothing on defense, but now that Morris is in the SEC, he is going to have to patch a unit together. The Razorbacks went 2-10 last year, and with Colorado State quarterback Collin Hill returning, this could turn into another track meet.

Michigan at Wisconsin (September 21)

Michigan has their eyes set on the likes of Notre Dame, Ohio State and Penn State, with many prognosticators picking them to win the Big Ten and snag a spot in the College Football Playoff. However, this trip to Madison will be a challenge. Wisconsin took a step back in 2018 and has a new quarterback this season, but Wisconsin still has tailback Jonathan Taylor, a candidate for the Heisman Trophy, and if the Wolverines are favored by a touchdown or more, betting on that line could yield big upset winnings.

Utah State at LSU (October 5)

The Aggies won 11 games last year, and Jordan Love, one of the best passers in the nation, returns. The Utah State offense scored 47.5 points per game last season, second among FBS programs behind Oklahoma. LSU lost to Troy at home two years ago in a similar point in the schedule. Utah State’s defense is one of the top units in the Group of 5, and LSU’s offense has never been dynamic.

Virginia at Notre Dame (September 28)

Virginia has improved from 2-10 to 6-6 to 8-5 in three seasons under former BYU head coach Bronco Mendenhall, and he won 99 games in 11 seasons at BYU. The Cavaliers has Bryce Perkins, who was the only other quarterback besides Kyler Murray to throw for at least 2,400 yards and run for at least 800 yards, and he was the only ACC player with at least 20 passing touchdowns and 9 rushing scores. He represents a major challenge for opposing defensive coordinators, and he could make Notre Dame suffer, particularly if the Fighting Irish has already taken a disappointing loss by this point in the season.