The start of the 2015 college football season is less than two weeks away and it is time to start thinking about who to bet on in week 1.

Whether it’s destined or by happenstance, underdogs act as the backbone for college football; it’s the driving force that dials up the chaos annually.

Here are six teams that should be on upset alert heading into week 1 of the 2015 college football season.

 

North Carolina at South Carolina, 6 P.M. ET

Line: Gamecocks -3

It’s a reoccurring theme that the public tends to want to believe: “North Carolina will be a force to reckon with in the ACC.”

I myself have been victim to such flabbergast and the end result is either a loss to a Mid-Major, or watching the Tar Heels defense slide en route to a 65-point fireworks show via the opposition. I simply won’t make this mistake once again; however, North Carolina should be a primary look on opening Thursday.

The offense appears well-suited with senior quarterback Marquise Williams, and alongside the dual-threat extraordinaire will be receivers Quinshad Davis, Mack Hollins and wideout/special teams threat Ryan Switzer. It’s a unit that has the capability of measuring up with any defense in the entire country, and frankly, last years South Carolina defense was not very good, something head coach Steve Spurrier isn’t accustomed to in Columbia.

For UNC’s defense, they’ve rarely stood sturdy in the face of danger, but the Gamecocks don’t necessarily have a threat on offense aside from Pharoh Cooper. It’ll be interesting to see how South Carolina’s season pans out with questions under center, so I’ll grab the small value with the Tar Heels in Week 1 as I feel they have all the pieces in order to kick off the year.

 

Charlotte at Georgia State

Line: Georgia State -4

The Conference USA welcomes yet another reformed club to its core in 2015 with the Charlotte 49ers. Notching just a 10-12 clip in two years as FCS representatives, a tough stretch awaits as they seek to gel within the fresh conference.

They should fit in just fine with C-USA, as I expect the 49ers to utilize their offensive ability to outscore opponents. If the sportsbooks foreshadow any sort of prediction for Friday’s match up with Georgia State, then we should see the scoreboard lit like a Christmas tree, as the Las Vegas total is currently set at 74  points in this contest.

Look for Charlotte to mobilize the offensive unit with playmakers in running back Kalif Phillips and receiver Austin Duke. The 49ers could very well be a two or three-win team in 2015, but don’t be surprised if the 49ers pull out all the stops in Week 1—I see value with a former FCS team versus a lower-tier Sun Belt program.

 

Florida Atlantic at Tulsa

Line: Golden Hurricanes -7

Following a dismal 2014 season, the 2-10 Golden Hurricanes are in dire need of a bounce back in the AAC. A defense that was frequently gashed by their opponents will need to clean up mistakes, and they’ll be tested off the bat with the Owls of Florida Atlantic.

Charlie Patridge’s club loses wide receiver Lucky Whitehead, a guy who acted as the primary outlet for a rather inexperienced skill group last year, but the offense looks to be deep. Jenson Stoshak and Kalib Woods will be targets for QB Jacquez Johnson, a three-year starter, and last season, he ran circles around Tulsa’s defense en route to a 50-21 win.

The 3-9 Owls were a bit better on paper, as they suffered three late losses in 2014, and the more I’ve dabbled with the Conference USA, the more I like this club. Seven points is a hefty amount of digits to give to a offense that can score —and therefore, Florida Atlantic encompasses a grand opportunity to storm into Tulsa to snag a victory.

 

BYU at Nebraska

Line: Cornhuskers -6

September has yet to unfold and Nebraska bad news is gradually unfolding. It was announced early last weekend that the Huskers would suspend four players for the opener versus Brigham Young, and injury was literally added to insult on Wednesday.

Nebraska wide receiver De’Moryan Pierson-El will endure a six to eight week setback, sending a blow to both the wideout unit and special teams. Pierson-El emerged as one of the nation’s prized threats through the latter half of the 2014 season, and now the Cougars’ trip to Lincoln is becoming a bit easier as the weeks progress.

BYU’s offense revolvs around quarterback Taysom Hill, and he’ll look to bounce back from a 2014 injury. He’s a guy that can take over a game single-handedly, and while I’m sure the public has taken matters into their own hands with ‘Nebraska news,’ keep an eye on the Cougars; and don’t be surprised if they come out of Lincoln with the upset.

NOTE: BYU has lost 2 projected starters to injury in the past week and RB Jamaal Williams withdrew from school two weeks ago. In addition, as many as six BYU players could be suspended for the game because of the Miami Beach Bowl brawl.

 

Stanford at Northwestern

Line: Stanford -12

Apparently it’s officially the year of the Cardinal. Phil Steele has highlighted David Shaw’s crew as a playoff-bound team in 2015, and they’ll lean on their prototypical stout defense and senior quarterback on offense.

For Northwestern, it’ll most likely be up to its defense in 2015 as the offense cuts ties with wide receiver Kyle Prater and quarterback Trevor Siemian. Clayton Thosar is expected to punch to clock as the Wildcats’ regular, but good luck with stepping toe-to-toe against a Stanford defense to break open your career.

The ‘books have set the total in the mid-40’s, calling for perhaps a low-scoring affair. Head coaches David Shaw and Pat Fitzgerald are 21-7 to the under in their tenures with a total in the 40’s, and if this contest is a grind, one lone slip for the Cardinal and they’ll bust open 2015 with a tally in the loss column. While it may seem impossible, I would expect this game to be a bit closer than the experts project.

 

Texas Christian at Minnesota

Line: Horned Frogs -14

I was a bit skeptical of putting Stanford on upset alert but I’ll willingly throw Gary Patterson’s Horned Frogs into this category come Week 1. Not only are Thursday night home dogs 7-1 against the spread as double-digit underdogs since 2013, but Minnesota head coach Jerry Kill is notorious for scoring big in this category.

Since 2011, Kill has nabbed a victory as an 8.5-point underdog or larger in each of his four seasons. It’s a rematch of 2014 where TCU controlled the game in its entirety, and I expect Minny to attempt to chew up as much clock as possible on offense.

It also helps when you have a pair of All-Americans in the secondary to stalemate an illustrious offense: Briean Boddy-Calhoun and Eric Murray at cornerback have the capacity to be future NFLers and should pose a rather sturdy test for TCU receivers Josh Doctson and Kody Listenbee. Having countless months to prepare for quarterback Trevone Boykin, the Gophers could possibly send the nation into a frenzy to open up college football’s 2015 campaign.

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