What a start to the College Football season it has been! Especially for the underdogs. UMass pulled off the big upset over the Big Ten’s Rutgers. Boise State hung with Oregon, and then the unthinkable happened. Western Michigan beat Michigan. Until a second was added back to the clock and Michigan stole the upset back. The point is, nobody is safe. Now, we head into the upset factory to cook up the best College Football upset parlay for Week 2 of action.
Kansas (+190)
Let’s start Friday night in Lawrence, Kansas, at David Booth Memorial Stadium in the Border War. The Kansas Jayhawks host their border rivals and former conference foes, the Missouri Tigers. Kansas took care of FCS opponent LIU last week, 51-6. Missouri did the same against Arkansas Pine-Bluff, 54-14.
The teams faced off last year in Columbia, where Kansas jumped out to a 21-6 lead early before the Tigers came back and secured the win at home. That’s going to leave Kansas hungry for what could have been. Kansas has historically held up in Lawrence, 7-2 in the series there dating back to 1990.
The Jayhawks offense really has me intrigued in this matchup. Isaiah Marshall looks to be a promising quarterback, and his mobility will be key in this game. Receivers Nik McMillan and Cam Pickett provide great options as Marshall scrambles around. The crowd at David Booth Memorial Stadium is going to be absolutely raucous on a Friday night in a rivalry game that they haven’t had the chance to host since 2005. That’s a massive advantage the Jayhawks have that they didn’t last year.
Missouri also comes in banged up, with running back Ahmad Hardy still recovering from a gunshot wound. Their left tackle Kaden Green missed last week; he appears to be on track to play against Kansas, but he’s still banged up. Kansas is a must-play at +5.5, and very alive on the money line as our first dog of the week.
Purdue (+135)
Another close game with a dog at home that has a real chance to take home the win. Purdue’s new quarterback Ryan Browne had an impressive debut against FCS opponent Indiana State, completing 23 of 29 passes for 317 yards, three touchdowns, and no interceptions.
He’s joined in the backfield by stud running back transfer from Minnesota, Fame Ijeboi. Ijeboi will be the key player in Purdue’s chances to win Saturday’s game. “He runs with a physicality and a lot of body violence,” said Purdue offensive coordinator Josh Henson. “He’s not an easy guy to tackle.” That’s exactly what makes him key in Purdue winning this game.
Purdue leads the all-time series against Wake 4-1, including three victories in four home games. Get Ijeboi rolling early, use the play action, and control the game. Add in that crowd at Ross-Ade Stadium, and it’s a winning combination for the Boilermakers.
Georgia Tech (+380)
Georgia Tech just suffered an absolutely embarrassing loss to the Colorado Buffaloes. Now, they have to play the #18-ranked Tennessee Volunteers? Maybe that’s just what they need. To go home, take on a young quarterback making his first start on the road; it’s the perfect bounce-back spot.
This is another case of a crazy home crowd, on a Saturday night game against an SEC opponent they haven’t hosted in 40 years. It’s going to be packed, it’s going to be loud, and it’s going to make a difference.
You may have heard of their National Championship-winning quarterback, Alberto Mendoza. He was the backup to his brother, Heisman Trophy winner and #1 overall pick in the NFL Draft at Indiana last year. Mendoza transferred to blaze his own path, but he looked good and protected the ball well in his first start. He went 17-of-23 for 237 yards , completing 73.9% of his passes for 10.3 yards per attempt .
Upset Parlay: Kansas + Purdue + Georgia Tech (+3171)
