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Early college football bowl betting guide

Mark Richt's Miami team went 8-4 this season. AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee

In the end, the preseason favorites took home the hardware in every Power 5 conference save the Big Ten, where the preseason favorite (Ohio State) represented the league in the College Football Playoff anyway. Plenty of drama occurred along the way despite few surprises at the finish.

Now it's time to look ahead to the bowls, the playoff and what lies ahead for college football's most dysfunctional conference. Here's our early betting look at bowl season, including early wagering opportunities.


Games of interest

Miami Hurricanes (-3) vs. West Virginia Mountaineers

We love the way Mark Richt prepares his teams for the postseason, as he's a master at making sure the players don't do too much or too little in all those bowl practices and peak at just the right time. After Richt's successful 8-4 debut with a lot of underclassmen in the lineup, enthusiasm around the Miami program is as high as it has been in years. This team will be excited to play, and the Canes look like a rapidly maturing outfit with a good chance to put it together and play their best game of the year in the bowl. A solid partisan crowd could be a difference-maker.