College Football Upset Picks for Week 1 (Nico Iamaleava Will Lead UCLA to Upset Win vs. Utah)

Iain MacMillan | Aug 27, 2025

Nico Iamaleava will get his first start for UCLA against Utah in Week 1. / Lucas Peltier-Imagn Images

Week 1 of the college football season is here!

College football is all about chaos, and the only thing that makes watching a big upset more exciting is if you have a bet riding on it as well. If you're looking for a few upset picks to wager on for Week 1 action, you've come to the right place. There are four underdogs I'm targeting to win outright, including a bet on an FCS team to get a win. Let's take a look.

College Football Week 1 Upset Picks

• Texas +110 vs. Ohio State (via DraftKings)
• South Dakota +500 vs. Iowa State (via FanDuel)
• LSU +142 vs. Clemson (via FanDuel)
• UCLA +192 vs. Utah (via Caesars)

Texas +110 vs. Ohio State

Ohio State has to deal with the more difficult turnover from last year's National Championship team to this year's version of the squad. It wasn't just talent that the Buckeyes lost, but also leadership in key roles.

Meanwhile, Texas seems poised to establish itself as the top team in the nation with Manning now set as its permanent starter. A lot of people felt the Longhorns would've been better off last season if he were the full-time starter over Quinn Ewers, so confidence has to be at an all-time high for one of the deepest teams in the country.

South Dakota +500 vs. Iowa State

I wasn't impressed with Iowa State in Week 0. Sure, the Cyclones got the win, but they had a Net Yards per Play of -2.6, and looked lost without an answer at receiver to replace Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel, who are now in the NFL.

In Week 1, they have to deal with jet lag as they return home to take on an extremely tough FCS team in South Dakota. It's worth noting that South Dakota averaged just 3.31 opponent yards per carry last season, one of the best marks at the FCS level. If Iowa State struggles to run the ball against this defense, they have no answer through the air. This matchup smells prime for an upset.

LSU +142 vs. Clemson

I think Clemson is one of the more overrated teams in the country heading into this season. I need to see the Tigers prove they can beat SEC teams, which they haven't been able to do in over a year. Clemson went 0-3 against SEC opponents in 2024. As long as LSU can utilize its No. 1-ranked Transfer Portal Class, it can win the battle of the Tigers.

UCLA +192 vs. Utah

I'm not sure if Iamaleava is going to find long-term success at UCLA, but I do think he's going to get off to a hot start in Week 1. It would be hard to argue that he's not the better of the two starting quarterbacks in this game, considering Devon Dampier, who is starting for Utah, completed just 57.9% of passes while throwing 12 interceptions for the Lobos in 2024.

The Bruins may end up being better than people think this season.

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Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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