Let’s dig into some betting angles for some of the games on Saturday’s college football Week 0 slate.

Brett Bielema returns to the Big Ten as head coach in Champaign, Ill. Bielema, of course, used a run-heavy style to win three Big Ten titles at Wisconsin, and you can expect that theme to carry over. The running game will be the strength of Illinois, and Nebraska will have to slow down a solid 1-2 attack of Chase Brown and Mike Epstein. The Cornhuskers will counter with an offense led by junior QB Adrian Martinez, who is plenty capable, but has also been inconsistent. Martinez is the difference in this game (for better or worse). If he protects the ball, Nebraska could roll. If he throws picks, the outcome could be all too familiar.

The Bruins are an interesting team, and this represents a fascinating first test before Chip Kelly’s group plays LSU the following week. Dorian Thompson-Robinson has great potential at QB — a true dual threat who has developed nicely and still not quite reached his ceiling. The defense was also better than expected and should be again, which is not something we’re accustomed to saying about Kelly’s team. Hawaii, meanwhile, is not the Hawaii of old. That’s not a bad thing. In fact, Todd Graham could make it a good thing. The early returns on the defensive side of the ball last season were promising, and the offense still has some juice.

For the casual fan, this is where the drop-off happens. Week 0 can do that. But before you push this aside for Week 1, consider the possibilities. In a year that was largely impacted by COVID-19, UTEP finished 3-5. One of the five defeats was a 59-3 loss to Texas, although the team was competitive in pretty much every other game. This program has been bad, although there is enough coming back for some optimism. New Mexico State comes into this having played two games last season, although those games took place this year. Those two games? A loss to Tarleton State and a close win against Dixie State. These are real schools and real results. Also, for those curious, Tarleton State is in Texas. If you love football — and I mean truly love football — you will watch this game.

And finally, a little four-touchdown spread to tie the weekend together. Let’s begin with UConn, which didn’t play football in 2020 and lost 10 games in 2019. One of the Huskies’ two victories that year was a three-point win over Wagner. COVID-19 wiped out fall and spring plans, and so things start with a tricky road game. (As an aside, UConn also plays at Clemson later in the year. That won’t go well.) Fresno State, however, was unable to duplicate the success of 2018 in ’19 or ’20. The offense under new coach Kalen DeBoer last year was tops in the Mountain West, although results varied. The key cogs of the offense return, which is good news for a team that moved the ball. As for the spread, well, that part is a bit trickier. It feels like a number that the Bulldogs should cover, although with Oregon looming the next week, does Fresno hold back or simply charge ahead?