Favorites Loom Large as Season Kicks Off After Colorado Upset
Colorado opened the college football season by upsetting Georgia Tech in Atlanta as a betting underdog, setting an early tone of unpredictability for Week 1. This weekend's schedule features several marquee matchups, though the point spreads suggest most favorites are positioned to win comfortably rather than face similar upset bids.
Defending national champion Indiana begins its title defense at home as a 40.5-point favorite, with head coach Curt Cignetti returning after a 2025 season that culminated in a Heisman Trophy for quarterback Fernando Mendoza, who went on to become the No. 1 overall NFL draft pick. Indiana opened last season with a 27-14 win over Old Dominion before its championship run. Oregon, ranked No. 2 nationally and fourth on the board to win the College Football Playoff, hosts Boise State as a 24.5-point favorite behind quarterback Dante Moore, who sits third in Heisman odds behind Notre Dame's CJ Carr and Texas' Arch Manning. Texas, third-favored to win the national title, opens against Texas State as a 29.5-point favorite with Manning atop the Heisman conversation alongside Carr, after the Longhorns began last season with a loss at Ohio State. lacrosse betting online
Penn State, now unranked from national title contention after a six-game losing streak in 2025 that led to the firing of head coach James Franklin, sits at No. 18 in the AP Poll and opens as a 23.5-point favorite over Marshall. The Nittany Lions started 4-0 last season before their collapse. The weekend's most competitive matchup comes Sunday night in Nashville, where Ole Miss hosts Louisville as a 6.5-point favorite. The Rebels reached the College Football Playoff semifinals last season, beating Georgia in the quarterfinals before falling 31-27 to Miami. Quarterback Trinidad Chambliss returns as Ole Miss's starter, while Louisville turns to Ohio State transfer Lincoln Kienholz.
With Indiana, Oregon, Texas and Penn State all favored by more than 20 points, sportsbooks are signaling limited upset risk in those games. The Ole Miss-Louisville matchup, by contrast, projects as the weekend's closest contest between two ranked teams, offering the clearest test of whether Colorado's Week 1 upset was an isolated result or an early sign of parity across the sport.