Intro by Doug Kezirian
The college football slate lacks a marquee ranked matchup, but it does feature four games with an unranked team favored over a ranked school. The most notable is Chip Kelly's UCLA Bruins as 2-point home favorites over No. 10 Oregon, where Kelly spent nearly a decade and flirted with national championships.
"Rankings mean nothing to me and to anyone who follows the sport and takes it seriously, but they do mean a lot to fans and players," professional bettor Ron Boyles told ESPN, sharing that he usually singles out these situations in college basketball but does like the college football angle too, if other variables line up. "When you come into someone's building with that number next to your name, believe me, it gets the attention of the home crowd and home players. You're getting a team that's going to be more energized and ready to go."
While the Ducks are 5-1, they have only covered one game. That lone cover was actually their most impressive performance, winning outright as 15-point underdogs at No. 5 Ohio State. That victory, one loss and a Pac-12 title will get Oregon into the College Football Playoff. However, another regular season loss could cost the Ducks that berth.