Evaluating Teams with Early October Bye Weeks
Here is the list of college football teams with October bye weeks during the first two weekends of October, along with their opponents before and after the bye week. In college football, this is a real benefit to the rested and prepared team and especially playing at home, so review the schedule and the post-bye situational system that is usually quite strong.
This is another piece to add to your handicapping arsenal, but know that you still must evaluate the motivation, match-ups, injuries, statistical profiles, adjusted power ratings and betting lines before you blindly bet on these rested teams off a bye.
Note that the following teams play Saturday, Oct. 7 off a bye last week:
Missouri, Michigan, Purdue, Utah, Arizona, Oklahoma, TCU, West Virginia, Kansas, Virginia, Tulane, Boise State, Toledo, Western Kentucky, Old Dominion, UTSA, UAB, Appalachian State, Arkansas State, Louisiana, Idaho
2017 Bye Week Schedule – Early October
| Bye | Team | Conference | Pre Bye | Post Bye | Last year results & Notes |
| 7-Oct | Mississippi State | SEC | at Auburn | BYU | MSU rushing for 252 YPG in Sept |
| 7-Oct | Tennessee | SEC | Georgia | South Carolina | Last 5 yrs vs SC games have been decided by 3 pts or less |
| 7-Oct | Indiana | Big Ten | at Penn State | Michigan (HC) | 21-straight losses to Michigan |
| 7-Oct | Rutgers | Big Ten | Ohio State | at Illinois | Blew 27-10 4th qtr lead to Illinois in 2005 in 33-30 home loss |
| 7-Oct | UCLA | Pac 12 | Colorado | at Arizona | UCLA has won 5-straight over Arizona w/4 by double-digits |
| 7-Oct | Arizona State | Pac 12 | at Stanford | Washington | ASU 3-2 in Sept allowing 36 PPG. Wash'ton 5-0 allow 11 PPG |
| 7-Oct | Oklahoma State | Big 12 | at Texas Tech | Baylor (HC) | OKL State has lost 3-str to Baylor |
| 7-Oct | Baylor | Big 12 | at Kansas | at Oklahoma State | Baylor 0-5 in Sept allowing 36 PPG & 472 YPG |
| 7-Oct | Florida State | ACC | at Wake Forest | at Duke | FSU 19-0 vs Duke |
| 7-Oct | Georgia Tech | ACC | North Carolina | at Miami (Thurs) | GT 3-1 SU and 4-0 ATS in Sept. 2-0 in ACC leads Coastal Div |
| 7-Oct | Massachusetts | Independent | Ohio | at USF | first ever meeting with USF |
| 7-Oct | Wyoming | MWC | Texas State | at Utah State | 1-1 last 2 yrs vs Utah State with both 80+ pts scored |
| 7-Oct | New Mexico | MWC | Air Force | at Fresno State | 1-6 at Fresno State. Did not play last 2 yrs |
| 7-Oct | North Texas | Conf USA | at So. Miss | UTSA | Lost 3 of last 4 to UTSA |
| 7-Oct | South Alabama | Sun Belt | at Louisiana Tech | at Troy | So. Alabama 1-4 in Sept & Troy 4-1 |
| 14-Oct | Kentucky | SEC | Missouri | at Mississippi | Kentucky 4-1 in Sept best start |
| 14-Oct | Penn State | Big Ten | at Northwestern | Michigan | Penn State 5-0 in Sept scoring 207 pts & allowing 47 |
| 14-Oct | Wake Forest | ACC | at Clemson | at Georgia Tech | Wake is 1-5 vs GT in Atlanta with last win in 2002 |
| 14-Oct | Virginia Tech | ACC | at Boston College | North Carolina (HC) | VT beat NC 34-3 LY in a heavy rain |
| 14-Oct | Notre Dame | Independent | at North Carolina | USC | 1-2 vs USC last 3 yrs with all three scores 63+ points |
| 14-Oct | Cincinnati | AAC | UCF | SMU (HC) | 2-0 vs SMU in AAC |
| 14-Oct | SMU | AAC | at Houston | at Cincinnati | SMU 4-1 SU & 5-0 ATS in Sept ave 48 PPG |
| 14-Oct | Ball State | MAC | at Akron | Central Michigan (HC) | Lost last 2 to CMU by3 points or less |
| 14-Oct | Florida Atlantic | Conf USA | at Old Dominion | North Texas | 4-straight losses to North Texas by double digits |
| 14-Oct | Louisiana Tech | Conf USA | at UAB | So. Miss | La. Tech 3-2 in Sept allowing 16, 17, 22 pts last 3 in Sept |
| 14-Oct | Rice | Conf USA | Army | at UTSA | Rice 1-4 in Sept & UTSA 3-0 allowing 41 total points |
| 14-Oct | Iowa | Big Ten | Illinois | at Northwestern | Iowa 10-2 last 12 away games after loss to MSU on Sept 30 |
FairwayJay is a leading national sports handicapper and is recognized as one of the sports industry's most insightful analysts. Read more great insights from Jay here and follow him on Twitter: @FairwayJay
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