The Ohio State Buckeyes are the favorites of NCAA football betting fans to defeat the Bowling Green Falcons on Saturday, September 3rd at Ohio Stadium in Columbus. The odds for fans betting on college football are the following:
Bowling Green +27½ (-110) 63½ (-110) +2750
Ohio State -27½ (-110) 63½ (-110) -6000
The Buckeyes are ranked 6th in the Associated Press Poll and are the current co-East Division champions – though having lost to Michigan State (their one defeat in a 12-1 season) they did not get to play the Big Ten championship game.
Additionally, Ohio State beat Notre Dame 44-28 in the Fiesta Bowl. Nevertheless, fifth-year head coach Urban Meyer has had his hands full filling the gaps left by the likes of QB Cardale Jones, running back Ezekiel Elliott, wide receiver Jalin Marshall, defensive end Joey Bosa, CB Eli Apple, safety Vonn Bell, and others who were either selected in the NFL draft or signed as undrafted free agents. The once and future Buckeyes starting QB J.T.
Barnett had to share the spotlight with Jones in 2015 and finished with 93 completions out of 147 attempts for 992 passing yards (63.3%) and 11 TDs. Now that Jones has been drafted by the Buffalo Bills, Barnett will have the undivided attention of Ohio State’s NCAA football betting fans.
The Bowling Green Falcons have been one of the most successful college football programs in the Mid-American Conference in recent years. They have won two straight East Division championships, as well as two MAC championships in the past three seasons. The caveat? They’re in the Mid-American Conference. That’s like being the biggest selling act in Sub Pop, or Epitaph Records.
To detract further from the Falcons’ NCAA football betting odds versus Ohio State, their new head coach Mike ‘Hi’ Jinks, is a newcomer to the league without a lot of prime material to work with, seeing as how most of the skill positions starters from 2015 either graduated or transferred.
On the plus side, six starters will be returning on defense – including Player of the Year candidate LB Austin Valdez. Valdez had 144 tackles in 2015 (58 solo and 86 assisted), and averaged 11.0 tackles for loss. Additionally, 2014 starting QB James Knapke, who led Bowling Green to the first of the two aforementioned consecutive division titles, will return as well. Knapke went 280 of 483 (58%) for 3173 passing yards and 15 TDs in 2014. His 2015 output wasn’t all that what’s cracked up to be, but with Matt Johnson no longer in the picture, this could be a career rebirth for Knapke.
All things considered however, the heavy odds in favor of Ohio State are just another reflection of the disparities between the two in-state colleges. The Buckeyes has a much bigger budget and thus enrolls five- and four-star recruits, while the Falcons have to settle for two- and three-star recruits. Sure, we all love underdogs, but Bowling Green is only an occasional underdog that remains an in-conference favorite. You just can’t have your cake and eat it too.