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What Power 5 Schools Could Be Upset in 2023?

The Fun of College Football Upsets

One of the best moments of any College Football season is seeing the exciting upsets that no one saw coming. It becomes even more exhilarating if you were part of the College Football betting community that made the risky bet on the upset.

While it is tough to select upsets by games for College Football predictions, some teams across the Power 5 conferences are in a situation that could lead to one happening.

What Power 5 Schools Could Be Upset in 2023?
A general view of the field prior to the Capital One Orange Bowl between the Tennessee Volunteers and the Clemson Tigers - Megan Briggs/Getty Images/AFP

ACC: Clemson

Since 2011, under Dabo Swinney, Clemson has been one of the most dominant teams in the ACC. However, this season there are a few questions. The biggest is how sophomore starting quarterback Cade Klubnik will perform. He closed the 2022 season strong with a good showing in the ACC Championship game, which earned him the start in the Orange Bowl. Despite throwing 320 yards in the bowl game, he also threw two interceptions on a 55.6% completion percentage.

On top of that, for the first time in a while, the Tigers are not favored in College Football lines to win the ACC. There are clear concerns about the team headed into 2023, which could lead to upsets, like facing Duke in Week 1 or losing to North Carolina and South Carolina later on.

Big 12: Texas

Over the years, Texas has been one of the more consistently disappointing teams in college football. NCAA odds always has them projected to be one of the top teams, but the Longhorns have fallen short. Last season, they were upset by Texas Tech in Week 4, which was a surprise, even if the Longhorns were without starting quarterback Quinn Ewers. 2021 was similar, with Texas losing in six of the final seven games.

Even with Texas having a little more optimism heading into the 2023 season, there is bound to be at least one game in which the team struggles, maybe against Kansas, Week 5, that will headline College Football news.

Big Ten: Penn State

There is a lot of hope going into the 2023 season for Penn State. Most College Football odds have them becoming one of the nation’s top teams. However, living up to that in a difficult conference will be a challenge for the Nittany Lions. They did finish with an 11-2 record, winning most games comfortably last season but losing to the Big Ten powerhouses of Michigan and Ohio State.

Penn State’s expectation should be tested early, facing Illinois and Iowa in back-to-back weeks in September, which could put pressure on the team.

Pac-12: Oregon

Outside of USC being favored to win the Pac-12, the team that will meet them in the championship game seems to be up for grabs. Oregon is a possible option to meet USC in the Pac-12 championship game. However, despite going 10-3 and winning a bowl game last season, the team heavily relied on quarterback Bo Nix. He may have another great season, maybe even be considered in Heisman talks, but Nix can often be inconsistent. One bad game out of the Ducks quarterback could drastically change their season.

SEC: LSU

There is something to top teams with high expectations in the Power 5 that opens them up to upsets. LSU is another program that most NCAA football odds have projected to do well in 2023. However, in 2022 there were a lot of close calls for upsets, with one happening in the last game of the regular season, facing Texas A&M. On top of that, the SEC is still one of the best conferences, with few easy weeks on the schedule.

The Tigers have to face Mississippi State, Arkansas, and Ole Miss in three straight weeks in September, with each game posing a threat to be upset.

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