College football season is approaching. Before the season starts gamblers need to get their futures bets in for the year. Here are futures bets to place before the 2022 college football season.
Fresno State Over 8.5 Wins
Fresno State’s current projected win total is 8.5. This comes after a season when they won nine games and get a large portion of their productive players back. Jeff Tedford returns to the sidelines for the Bulldogs with plenty of the players he recruited now being stars. Jake Haener comes back at quarterback with six other returning starters on offense, including star wide receiver Jalen Cropper. The defense also gets seven returning starters back with solid players at all three levels.
Looking at Fresno State’s schedule will reveal a few tough games. They play two Pac-12 teams in Oregon State and UCLA. The Bulldogs also have Boise State on the road. It shouldn’t be forgotten that last season, Fresno State took Oregon down to the wire, losing by seven and they defeated UCLA on the road. This schedule is easier and with the returning talent, winning at least nine games should happen.
Arkansas Over 7 Wins
Last season Sam Pittman and the Razorbacks had a breakout season, winning nine games. Their win total this year is projected to be seven wins. With star quarterback K.J. Jefferson, a good running back room and an experienced offensive line, the Razorbacks should improve offensively. On defense, they lost some talent, but have key players in safety Jalen Catalon and linebacker Bumper Pool returning. The quality of play should improve with more of Pittman’s recruits getting more experience with the program.
The reason for the low win total is the schedule for the Razorbacks. They play both Cincinnati and BYU in the nonconference. While they will be favored to beat a Cincinnati team that lost a lot of their production to the NFL, BYU on the road will be tough. On top of the tough nonconference schedule, their difficult games in the SEC are: vs. Texas A&M (Arlington, Texas), vs. Alabama, at Mississippi State, at Auburn, vs. LSU and vs. Ole Miss. While that is a lot of tough games, Arkansas beat most of these teams last season. Arkansas going 7-5, would be a letdown and a push, expect them to hit the over.
BYU Under 8 Wins
While losing Zach Wilson was tough, the Cougars were able to win 10 games in their first season without him. Jaren Hall took over the quarterback duties and played well. He’ll be rejoined by six other starters, while the defense has eight players returning. They have stars on the offensive line in Blake Freeland and Clark Barrington that can help them win some matchups in the trenches against power five teams.
The problem with the Cougars in 2022 is that the schedule is much tougher. They did defeat five Pac-12 teams and Virginia in 2021, but the schedule is even tougher this season. They play Baylor, at Oregon, Wyoming, Utah State, at Notre Dame, Arkansas, at Liberty, East Carolina, at Boise State and at Stanford. All of these teams are in a power five conference or were over .500 in 2021. Expecting any team other than the very best in the country to come out with over eight wins is a very tough ask.
Ohio State Over 10.5 Wins
After winning 10 regular season games last season, Ohio State is projected to have one of the best offense in the country. They have good skill position players to go with quarterback C.J. Stroud, along with a talented offensive line. Jim Knowles, the Oklahoma State defensive coordinator from last season, comes in to help fix a defense that gave up too many big plays in 2021. Any improvement should have them at least match their win total from last season.
The schedule features a tough nonconference game against Notre Dame. The Buckeyes are favored by over two touchdowns. They get Wisconsin, Iowa and Michigan at home, but do have to travel to Michigan State and Penn State. The schedule is tough, but the Buckeyes have CFP aspirations this season.
NC State Over 8.5 Wins
In 2021, NC State won nine regular season games and were a few points away from qualifying for the ACC Championship Game. They defeated Clemson, who will be their biggest hurdle again this season. Seven Starters return on offense including quarterback Devin Leary. The defense ranked 14th in the country and brings back nine starters, which will feature a very good linebacker room. The talent is there to improve on their finish from last season.
Out of conference, they have tougher games at East Carolina and vs. Texas Tech. They should be favored in each. Their conference schedule has them play at Clemson, but they get Florida State, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest and Boston College all at home. The Wolfpack have the talent and schedule to hit at least nine wins this season.
C.J. Stroud for the Heisman +200
The favorite for the Heisman is Stroud and rightfully so. He was a finalist last season after throwing for 4,435 yards, 44 touchdowns and six interceptions on 71.9 percent completion. His play helped Ohio State win the Rose Bowl, but more is expected this season.
Ohio State is projected to win 10.5 games this season and they could hit the over. If they do, the team will be successful enough for Stroud to win the award. Although he loses Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave to the NFL, Jaxson Smith-Njigba and a talented crop of receivers return. Stroud could put up even better numbers with his supporting cast and a year of experience under his belt. After giving the award to Bryce Young last season, the voters will be more likely to give it to someone else this season.
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