We’re lucky enough to be home to plenty of talent in college football, which means there’s pretty much always a game on during the season. Betting on the NCAA Division 1 Football Bowl Subdivision (or FBS as it’s usually known), the top division of college football, is a bit different from betting on the NFL. There’s a greater range in margins, making things a lot less predictable. For the highest profile games, viewers can number in the millions, even stretching into the tens of millions.
There’s a distinct atmosphere to college football games with local pride often at its very highest. Not only does that make for a great watching experience, but it adds another layer of tension when you’re looking to bet on college football. First, though, we think it’s important to get to grips with the very basics of how the leagues work and which teams are ones to watch.
How Does the FBS Work?
You’re going to have to stick with us through this explanation, as the FBS is quite easily one of the most confusing sporting leagues in the world. There’s 10 different conferences (and some independent schools) and 136 schools within them. The thousands of players who represent the different college teams make up the majority of the footballers picked in the NFL draft, so you can get to see some real talent in its early stages.
There’s three key divisions (called division I through to III) in college football, but Division I is the one that gets the most attention. Division I is also split into two divisions — the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) and the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS). These main divisions are then further broken into conferences, where groups of schools play for a conference championship. That’s a very basic overview of the system and there are further categories that can make things even more brain melting, but let’s move on for now!
College Football Playoff National Championship Game
The FBS usually starts at the end of August and culminates in the College Football Playoff National Championship game. At the end of the conference stage, after all the conference-level winners are decided, the 12 best (as decided by a selection committee) go on to compete in the College Football Playoff. The two teams who successfully make it through the playoffs get to compete in the Playoff National Championship Game, which decides the national college football winner.
Things can also get more complicated when it starts getting to the Big 10 (which has 18 teams in it for some reason) and don’t even get us started on the power conferences¹. The most important thing to know is that although it’s a massively confusing system, it does mean that we get to see some incredible match-ups and heated rivalries.
Get to Know the Teams
As the country’s premier college football league, the FBS is home to football teams stacked full of the country’s top upcoming talent. When you’re looking to place a bet, it’s important to have at least a basic understanding of the different teams and the stats behind them. So, let’s take a look at the league’s top talent.
Notre Dame Fighting Irish Football
The league’s leading team when it comes to producing stars for the NFL, Notre Dame (you might also hear them referred to as Fighting Irish), are always contenders for the title. The side has produced a whopping 608 players who have gone on to play in the NFL². They also count legends like Chiefs and 49ers quarterback Joe Montana and the Steelers’ running back Jerome Bettis, among their alumni.
Based in the Notre Dame Stadium in Indiana, they play in the iconic navy and gold and are also one of the most successful teams in the table having won 13 national titles. Their first came all the way back in 1919 and the most recent in 1988. Although they haven’t clinched the final win for over 20 years now, Notre Dame is always a good option to watch and bet on for their explosive football and singular individual talent.
Ohio State Buckeyes
Last season’s victors, Ohio State Buckeyes are another team to watch out for when looking to bet on the FBS. They’ve claimed nine national championships and have the second-most game wins of any team, so are a strong choice to bet on. The Buckeyes also look great this season, having defeated all seven of their opponents convincingly.
There’s plenty of talent in the Buckeyes team this time around, including standout quarterback Julian Sayin whose efficient play makes him look like a real NFL prospect. We only have to look at the Buckeyes recent 70-0 against Grambling State Tigers at the start of September to see how impressive this team is³. Most people are backing them to retain their championship, and according to ESPN Analytics there’s over 50% chance of just that happening.
Indiana Hoosiers
Although they haven’t got a national title to their name, the Hoosiers are one of the most impressive teams in the FBS recently. They’ve won all eight of their games so far this season and secured an impressive 30-20 victory against Oregon away. It ended Oregon’s record of 18 straight wins at home and also displayed the talents of players like Omar Cooper who secured a one-handed catch for a touchdown.
Indiana also has a relatively smooth path to securing one of the playoff spots with their November 1st trip to Maryland probably looking like the biggest obstacle. Should they be successful, they’ll owe a lot to head coach Curt Cignetti, who is widely regarded as one of the top minds in football.⁴ They only lost two games in his debut season of 2024, and this year he seems set to take the Hoosiers to a Big Ten showdown against Ohio State.
What Makes College Football Worth Betting On?
College football is easily one of the most exciting sports to bet on. There’s so many teams that getting into the statistics and analytics of it all can take weeks, even months. That’s the beauty of it though, and careful analysis can lead you to spot a mismatch that could make a decent moneyline or spread bet.
Always Unpredictable, Never Boring
That should pretty much be the slogan of the FBS at this point. Given the range of teams competing, things are incredibly unpredictable, keeping it interesting. It also means that you’re more likely to see a bigger variance in spreads and prices when betting on the FBS.
During the peak weeks of the season, there’s over 50 college football matches on a single Saturday! So, regardless of who you’re rooting for, there’s always some action to make the most of.
Heightened Competition
The FBS is much more widely supported than you might expect from a college-level competition. People really turn up for their local teams! Games are more accessible than in the NFL with stadiums scattered in cities throughout states, allowing more fans to come out and support their local schools.
As you can imagine, that leads to a good deal of local rivalry between teams. Home support also has a bigger influence on the outcome of a game than found at NFL level. According to research, around 60% of college football games are won by the home team, whereas in the NFL that sits around 56%⁵. A lot of that comes down to the influence of state pride and the home fans who cheer their teams towards success.
Is College Football Worth Betting On?
College football is easily one of the most exciting sports to bet on, with plenty of top talent to keep you entertained throughout the experience. Whether you’re backing your local team or where you went to school, a good deal of pride comes into it, which makes things even more tense. Before you start betting though, it’s important to have a basic understanding of how the FBS works and which teams are serious competition.
