#HLSBets CFB Week 0 Recap, Rundown, Top 25 and More!
Welcome back to #HLSBets on HLS Entertainment! Week 0 was a really fun tease of college football with 11 games, but I am ready for that full bliss of 20+ games on Thursday/Friday then 40+ games on Saturday. I am going to be a nuisance on the timeline, by the way go follow me on Twitter @HaroldLStokes. #HLSBets went 9-5 which is a solid opening weekend but let's make even more this week. For those who do not know, every week on Twitter I post #HLSBets public sheet (fun fact every single public sheet is under that # so you can find every public bet on there), and you can DM on there to join the #HLSBets Bonus Sheet for even more bets with full game breakdowns explaining why we should take each bet. On both sheets I do Full Standard Betting Game, which is three bets: Total, Moneyline and Spread. (Right now, there is a special price going on to buy in for the full season if you DM me the special word at the bottom of the blog)
CFB season kicked off with an UGLY game between Western Kentucky and Austin Peay. But having a stumbling bumbling highlight to start the year was incredible. WKU 38 AP 27. Nebraska and Northwestern was obviously the big game most people who were watching football watched. Game took place in Dublin Ireland, the drinking capital of the world (no idea if it is, it should be) and the computer systems went down in the stadium, so they gave away free alcohol starting pretty early in the first half. And everyone needed to watch how sloppy Nebraska played. Northwestern won 31-28. Florida State actually beat the non FBS team this time in Duquesne, FSU won 47-7. SEC powerhouse Vanderbilt traveled down and played Hawaii on the Island and for the first time in school history, Vandy looked like an SEC team. Vandy won 63-10. On to the top 25!
#HLSBets Week 0 Top 25
1. Alabama
2. Ohio State
3. Georgia
4. Clemson
5. Michigan
6. Utah
7. Texas A&M
8. NC State
9. Oklahoma
10. Oregon
11. Michigan State
12. Notre Dame
13. Arkansas
14. BYU
15. Oklahoma State
16. Miami
17. Baylor
18. Texas
19. USC
20. Tennessee
21. Wisconsin
22. Penn State
23. Kentucky
24. Wake Forest
25. Mississippi State
Bets I Should Have Won
I really want to sit here and complain about Nebraska blowing that game, but the narrative was so overblown all weekend I am not going to add much to the conversation. I will keep it short and sweet. Yes, Nebraska and Scott Frost blew the game. No, the onside kick is not THE reason they lost. Poor tackling and WR play were a MUCH larger factor than one onside kick. Yes, it was a dumb play. Yes, it they had recovered and put the nail in the Northwestern coffin we would be calling Frost a gutsy genius this week. It bites both ways. Plenty of great things (Casey Thompson) for this team to build on and still have a great year. No, offensive creativity wasn't the issue.
Bets I Am Excited For
This week's BIAEF (idk why in my head I thought that could be read weirdly like "beef", go ahead and judge me) I am going through a handful of Heisman trophy "longshots". Guys who I think have a serious chance to be in New York for the Heisman trophy ceremony but are not a favorite.
Bijan Robinson +3,000 is a legit shot, and he will steal any potential votes away from Quinn Ewers (+4000) because Robinson will more than likely end up with 2500+ total yards with a TON coming through the air.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba +4,000, one of my favorites of the longshots, he just has to beat DeVonta Smith's 2020 averages and Ohio State be a title contending team. Both things that are assuredly going to happen this season barring injuries.
DJ Uiagalelei +4,000 had a PITIFUL 2021 season. Remember the two games he played in 2020 where he threw for like 450 and 2-3 TDs in both? that was essentially half his stats last year. DJ finished with a pitiful 2246 yards passing 9 TDs and 10 Ints. He did add 308 and 4TDs on the ground as well but that is just a bad season for a potential title contender. This year expect the old Clemson once again.
Jordan Addison +10,000 has a legit shot, if he and Caleb Williams get on the same page, he beats DeVonta's numbers and USC becomes close to a title contender? You better believe every sportswriter west of Austin is going to be writing him in for some votes.
Heisman Frontrunner
CJ Stroud +175
Bryce Young +425
Caleb Williams +750
Will Anderson +1400
Will CJ Stroud just basically repeat last year but actually go 12-0 win the Heisman?
Can Bryce Young join the most exclusive club in CFB history? He is looking to become only the SECOND two-time Heisman trophy winner since Archie Griffin first did it in 1974-75 in back-to-back seasons.
Can Caleb Williams and Lincoln Riley ignite the west coast and relight the flame of USC?
Will the narrative of "25 years since Charles Woodson won" take over the conversation as we watch Will Anderson walk away with the trophy?
Sell Stock In
Hold strong and report back next week. Nothing to be down on yet.
Buy Stock In
Nebraska's stock might be at an all-time low right now, I really think this team COULD be good. Or at least fun. The absolute major thing that needs to be fixed is just focus. Poor tackling and WR play are what lost them the game, and both can be fixed with better focus. Casey Thompson already had 355 through the air, imagine if they did not have about 10 drops?
Outro-Games Looking Forward To
Releasing this on Thursday so the WVU @ Pitt 6pm on ESPN game is the game I am most excited for tonight. Then the Penn State @ Purdue game 7pm FOX. Louisiana Tech @ Missouri shouldn't be exciting but I will be keeping an eye on 7pm ESPNU.
Friday I am looking forward to the Illinois @ Indiana game 7pm FS1 and the TCU @ Colorado game 9pm ESPN. Both of these games are very enlightening towards what we should be thinking about the middle to bottom of these conferences.
Saturday NC State @ ECU 11am ESPN, has risen a lot of eyebrows as people think NC St could not have their head on straight yet and fall to a potential trap. I personally do not think that. Oregon @ Georgia 2:30 ABC is probably the biggest game of the weekend. Oregon coach Dan Lanning gets a very quick trip home playing back against Georgia where he was just their defensive coordinator. Cincy @ Arkansas 2:30 ESPN, I hope the hogs blow their doors off. Biggest potential upset of the weekend is Utah traveling to the Swamp to face off against Florida 6pm ESPN, this could finally be Anthony Richardson's coming out party. ND @ Ohio State, 6:30pm ABC, is the most overrated game of the weekend because ND is going to lose by potentially 7 scores, they will not be able to slow down or keep up with OSU.
DM me "Heisman" on Twitter @HaroldLStokes for the special price on the full regular season #HLSBets Bonus Sheet of CFB and or NFL!
