College football Week 1 odds: Fighting Irish favorites at Texas

OddsSharkSep 1, 2016, 9:22 PM EDT

Notre Dame’s quarterback drama has overshadowed the Fighting Irish’s relative inexperience, as well as their trouble covering on the road. The Fighting Irish are listed as 3.5-point favorites against the Texas Longhorns with a total of 60 points for their game in Texas on Sunday at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com.

Notre Dame is just 5-8 straight-up and 6-7 against the spread in its last 13 road games, according to the OddsShark College Football Database. That includes being 4-3 SU and 2-5 ATS in September road games since 2010.

Irish quarterbacks DeShone Kizer and Malik Zaire are seasoned, but the same cannot be said of the Irish depth chart. Notre Dame has turned over more than half of its lineup and has graduated six of its top seven receivers, meaning a young group will be running routes against Texas’ skilled secondary.

However, the Irish have a strong offensive line and Texas struggled at stopping the run last season. The Longhorns, who are starting true freshman QB Shane Buechele, are 3-7 ATS in their last 10 outings as an underdog.

The total has gone over in eight of Notre Dame’s last 12 road games, and in 14 of its last 21.

Elsewhere, Labor Day weekend includes four Top 25 matchups.

The defending national champion Alabama Crimson Tide are listed as 11.5-point favorites against the USC Trojans at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, with a total of 53.5 points. The Crimson Tide, who are riding a 12-0 SU streak, are on a 4-1 both SU and ATS run in September games where they are favored by 14 or fewer points.

Coach Nick Saban should have another stout defense – including CB Marlon Humphrey – to get in the face of Southern Cal’s first-year starting QB Max Browne. The Trojans are 0-4 ATS in their last four outings as underdogs.

The Oklahoma Sooners are 11.5-point favorites against the No. 15 Houston Cougars at NRG Stadium, with a total of 68 points. The Sooners’ Baker Mayfield and the Cougars’ Greg Ward Jr. are each explosive, athletic QBs. Mayfield and his receivers are facing a Cougars secondary with four new starters. Since 2013, Houston is 7-0 ATS as an underdog of 7.5 points or more. The total has gone under in five of Houston’s last seven games.

In their debut under new coach Kirby Smart, the Georgia Bulldogs are 2.5-point favorites against the North Carolina Tar Heels, with a total of 56.5 points. Georgia is built around defense and RB Nick Chubb. North Carolina, 11-2 SU in their last 13 games, has high-scoring capability with junior QB Mitch Tribisky, but struggles in run defense.

Georgia is 7-3 ATS in their last 10 games vs. ACC teams. The total has gone over in five of the Tar Heels’ last six games.

The Florida State Seminoles are four-point favorites against the Mississippi Rebels for their Monday matchup in Orlando, with an over/under of 57 points. Star Seminoles RB Dalvin Cook is facing a defense that has been patched up with graduate transfers Detric Bing-Dukes and Rommel Mageo.

Florida State is 6-0 SU in its last six games after losing as a favorite, but Mississippi is 7-3 ATS in its last 10 games as an underdog.

Michigan, Penn State, Purdue headline NBC Sports, Peacock’s early Big Ten schedule

By Emily IannaconiMay 31, 2023, 2:04 PM EDT

Big Ten Football is coming to NBC Sports and Peacock for the first time ever this upcoming season. This year’s coverage will feature Big Ten’s first weekly broadcast primetime games and nine Peacock-exclusive matchups. The NBC Sports Big Ten Football package will feature Big Ten Saturday Night on NBC and Peacock, marking the first time ever that the Big Ten will have a dedicated weekly primetime game on a national network. There will also be nine games available exclusively on Peacock.

Big Ten opening week schedule

NBC Sports will debut its Big Ten Football package with two of college football’s top programs — Penn State and Michigan — on Sept. 2.

Exclusively on Peacock, at Noon ET, the reigning Big Ten champion Michigan Wolverines will host East Carolina at “The Big House.”
On NBC and Peacock, at 7:30 p.m. ET, the reigning Rose Bowl champion Penn State Nittany Lions will host West Virginia at Beaver Stadium in the first meeting between the two teams since 1992.

Additional Big Ten Football games announced today

Saturday, Sept. 16th – Washington vs. Michigan State (5 p.m. on Peacock)

The Washington Huskies, who had the nation’s top passing offense in 2022 led by Heisman Trophy candidate Michael Penix Jr. visit the Michigan State Spartans, who finished 11-2 in 2021 and ranked among the country’s top 10 teams.

Saturday, Sept. 16th – Purdue vs. Syracuse (7:30 p.m., NBC and Peacock)

The Purdue Boilermakers, winners of the Big Ten West division last season, host the Syracuse Orange. These teams will face in a rematch of last season’s thriller, where the two combined for 42 points in the fourth quarter alone before the Orange squeaked out a three-point victory.

Saturday, Nov. 11th – Ohio State vs. Michigan State (7:30 p.m., NBC and Peacock)

The Ohio State Buckeyes, a College Football Playoff national semifinalist last season, host Michigan State.

Friday, Nov. 24th – Penn State vs. Michigan State (7:30 p.m. ET, NBC and Peacock)

Penn State visit Michigan State in a Black Friday primetime matchup at Ford Field in Detroit.

Notre Dame games on NBC

NBC Sports’ primetime schedule also includes two of college football’s most-anticipated matchups. Ohio State will play at Notre Dame Sept. 23 and USC, the top team in the Pac 12 last season, will play at Notre Dame on Oct. 14. Both games will be broadcast on NBC and Peacock.

NBC Sports’ Big Ten Football and primetime games announced to date:

Sat. Sept. 2	Noon	East Carolina at Michigan	Peacock
Sat., Sept. 2	7:30 p.m.	West Virginia at Penn State	NBC, Peacock
Sat., Sept. 9	Noon	Delaware at Penn State	Peacock
Sat., Sept. 9	7:30 p.m.	Charlotte at Maryland	NBC, Peacock
Sat., Sept. 16	5:00 p.m.	Washington at Michigan State	Peacock
Sat., Sept. 16	7:30 p.m.	Syracuse at Purdue	NBC, Peacock
Sat., Sept. 23	7:30 p.m.	Ohio State at Notre Dame	NBC, Peacock
Sat., Oct. 14	7:30 p.m.	USC at Notre Dame	NBC, Peacock
Sat., Nov. 11	7:30 p.m.	Michigan State at Ohio State	NBC, Peacock
Fri., Nov. 24	7:30 p.m.	Penn State at Michigan State (Ford Field)	NBC, Peacock

The remaining NBC Sports’ Big Ten Football games will be announced during the season.

Wisconsin college football history: Big Ten and national titles, stadium, 2023 season outlook and more

By Kyle LynchMay 11, 2023, 6:10 PM EDT

Winners of the inaugural Big Ten title in 1896, the Wisconsin Badgers enter a new era in 2023 with Luke Fickell taking over as head coach. Fickell takes over a team which finished last season with a losing conference record for the first time since 2008 and enters this year with a new quarterback under center.

Beginning this fall, NBC and Peacock will be the exclusive home of Big Ten Saturday Night, a primetime football game each weekend. Peacock will also serve as the exclusive home for eight additional Big Ten football games each season. Keep reading for a primer on all things Wisconsin and all things Big Ten ahead of the 2023 season.

How long has Wisconsin been in the Big Ten?

Wisconsin is one of the original members of the Big Ten, playing in the conference’s inaugural season in 1896. The Badgers won each of the first two conference titles, finishing first in the Big Ten in both 1896 and 1897.

Has Wisconsin ever won the Big Ten championship?

Wisconsin has won 14 Big Ten championships, including the inaugural title in the 1896 season. Their most recent Big Ten championship came in the 2012 season, which capped off three-straight conference titles for the Badgers from 2010 to 2012.

Has Wisconsin ever won the national championship?

No, Wisconsin has never won a national championship in football. In the 1962 season, Wisconsin finished second in both the AP and Coaches polls behind Southern Cal, who defeated Wisconsin in the Rose Bowl that season.

What is the name of Wisconsin’s stadium?

With a capacity of more than 80,000, Camp Randall Stadium serves as the home of the Wisconsin Badgers football team. The land was originally used for training Wisconsin troops during the Civil War and is named after Wisconsin’s first wartime governor, Alexander W. Randall. Camp Randall is home to one of college football’s greatest traditions, with the crowd erupting with the playing of the song “Jump Around” by House of Pain.

Who is Wisconsin’s head coach?

After leading Cincinnati for the past six seasons, Luke Fickell is entering his first year as head coach of the Wisconsin Badgers. Fickell replaces Paul Chryst, who was fired last October and replaced by Jim Leonhard, who finished the year as interim head coach. Fickell went 57-18 over his six seasons in Cincinnati, including a trip to the 2021 College Football Playoff. He is no stranger to the Big Ten, playing at Ohio State in the 1990’s and spending 16 of his first 18 seasons in coaching on the Buckeyes’ staff, including one year as head coach (2011).

What is Wisconsin’s mascot?

Bucky Badger (full name Buckingham U. Badger) is the mascot for the Wisconsin Badgers. While the badger has been the university’s mascot since 1889, the first costumed Bucky did not make an appearance until 1949 and is known for wearing his signature red and white striped shirt.

What is Wisconsin’s 2023 season outlook?

The Luke Fickell era is beginning in Madison, with Fickell taking over a team that has won a bowl game in eight of the past nine seasons. Coming with Fickell is new offensive coordinator Phil Longo, who spent the past four years in the same position at North Carolina. Longo is known for having a pass-heavy offense with the Tar Heels and will look to bring that to a Wisconsin program known for a ground-and-pound, run-heavy attack. Fickell and Longo brought in three new quarterbacks from the transfer portal to replace former starter Graham Mertz, who transferred to Florida. Redshirt senior Tanner Mordecai, who played at both Oklahoma and SMU, looks set to take over as the starting QB in Madison this year.

How to Watch Big Ten Football on NBC and Peacock

In August 2022, NBCUniversal and the Big Ten Conference today announced a landmark 7-year agreement for NBC and Peacock to become the exclusive home of Big Ten Saturday Night football, beginning in fall of 2023. Peacock will also serve as the exclusive home for eight additional Big Ten Football games each season.

NBC Sports/Peacock’s new agreement with college sports’ top conference will also feature dozens of men’s and women’s basketball games (including multiple games each year in the Men’s and Women’s Big Ten Tournaments), Olympic sports, golf and more, providing hundreds of hours of Big Ten content across Peacock.

What devices can I watch Peacock on?

Peacock is currently available on the Roku platform; Amazon FireTV and Fire tablets; Apple devices including iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Apple TV 4K and Apple TV HD; Google platforms and devices including Android™, Android TV™ devices, Chromecast and Chromecast built-in devices; Microsoft’s Xbox One family of devices, including Xbox One S and Xbox One X; Sony PlayStation4 and PlayStation 4 Pro; Samsung Smart TVs; VIZIO SmartCast™ TVs; LG Smart TVs; Comcast’s entertainment platforms including Xfinity X1, Xfinity Flex, and XClass TV; and Cox’s Contour and Contour Stream Player devices. To learn more about Peacock and how to sign up, visit PeacockTV.com.