Updated
Updated · Fox News · Sep 1
Auburn, UNLV and LSU Face Week 1 Upset Threats as LSU Opens as 10-Point Favorite
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Sep 1

Auburn, UNLV and LSU Face Week 1 Upset Threats as LSU Opens as 10-Point Favorite

3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Sep 1

Summary

  • Three favored teams enter Week 1 on upset alert: Auburn against Baylor, UNLV at Hawaii and No. 11 LSU against Clemson.
  • Auburn is laying 7.5 points but breaks in a new coaching staff and many new players, making the neutral-site opener in Atlanta vulnerable to early-season instability.
  • UNLV is favored by 3, yet its 27-21 Week 0 home loss to Memphis and a trip to Honolulu strengthen Hawaii's case after the Rainbow Warriors pushed Stanford into the fourth quarter.
  • LSU carries the biggest number at -10, but Lane Kiffin's $40 million roster has been overshadowed by recent off-field controversy, while Clemson brings enough receiver and front-seven talent to threaten in Baton Rouge.
  • The picks underscore a broader Week 1 theme: opening-week roster turnover, travel and distractions can quickly erase betting edges in college football.

Insights

Could a groundbreaking multi-million dollar NIL deal become the ultimate distraction that costs Auburn its season opener?
Does Hawaii's historical home-field dominance spell doom for a UNLV squad already reeling from a Week Zero collapse?
Will unprecedented legal drama over former pro players suing for NCAA eligibility derail Lane Kiffin's debut at LSU?