College football’s Week 0 has been offering up an appetizer to hungry fans for a generation. But if we’re being honest, the annual sampler platter has left a lot to be desired.
Luckily, there's a true headliner on this season’s Week 0 card. For the first time in 23 years, Week 0 features a ranked matchup — and it’s a conference rivalry to boot.
Let’s dig into the two betting angles I have circled for this overseas "Farmageddon" rivalry between Kansas State and Iowa State. Check out the Kansas State vs. Iowa State odds and my college football picks for Week 0 below.
Kansas State vs Iowa State Odds
| Kansas State Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-3 -110 | 49.5 -108o / -112u | -155 |
| Iowa State Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+3 -110 | 49.5 -108o / -112u | +130 |
Rocco Becht Under 241.5 Passing Yards
Last season, Iowa State head coach Matt Campbell put more of the offensive load on quarterback Rocco Becht’s shoulders. He beefed up his attempts from 28 per start in 2023 to 32.5 last fall.
That increased faith in Becht was due, in part, to the receivers he was throwing to in Ames last season. Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel combined for 167 receptions, 2,377 yards and 17 receiving scores. The former Cyclone wideouts were both drafted by the Houston Texans and are vying for reps in training camp at this very moment.
The fact that Campbell built his offense around Higgins and Noel was simply good football. Both receivers finished top-20 nationally in the yards per route run metric, demonstrating their game-breaking potential.
But this wasn’t a traditional Campbell offense by any stretch. He eschewed his two- and three-tight end sets in favor of three wide receiver formations on 36% of the Cyclones’ offensive snaps in 2024.
Looking back at the offense he built around Breece Hall in 2021, Campbell had two or three tight ends on the field a whopping 70% of the time.
With a complete overhaul of his receiver room, I expect Campbell to return to his tight end-heavy roots early in the season.
Tight ends Benjamin Brahmer and Gabe Burkle are experienced (50 career games) and massive. Both stand over 6-foot-6 and weigh more than 250 pounds.
Tyler Moore also returns from injury after showing promise last season. Toss in an offensive line that returns three starters, and I foresee sub-30 attempts for Becht as Campbell opts to feed Carson Hansen and Abu Sama III.
Pick: Rocco Becht Under 241.5 Passing Yards
1Q Under 10.5
-145 · Fanatics
This play is predicated on the familiarity between these two teams and a historical trend.
Joe Klanderman and Jon Heacock return as defensive coordinators for Kansas State and Iowa State, respectively. They have stood their posts in Ames and Manhattan for 14 years collectively.
With the benefit of an offseason and fall camp, the pairing has excelled in calling plays in season openers.
Heacock’s defenses have allowed just 1.5 points in the first quarter of their openers, albeit against light competition. Klanderman has been equally unflappable, allowing just seven points across the five first quarters he’s called since being promoted to DC in 2020 (1.4 points per 1Q).
Both offenses will be breaking in almost entirely new receiving corps, with KSU bringing back the only starter between the two schools in Jayce Brown. This should limit the kind of aerial explosives that plagued both defenses last season.
And now for the final element, Ireland itself. Whether it’s the travel, the time zone differential or the predictably soggy weather, no one fires out of the starting blocks across the Atlantic.
Dating back to the first Emerald Isle Classic in 1988, the first quarter scoring comes in at a tepid 12 points per game. Six times in the last eight games on the Emerald Isle, one of the two teams has failed to score in the opening 15 minutes.
With a heatwave gripping the Midwest, there’s a chance it could be 40 degrees colder at kickoff in Dublin than what these two teams are practicing in this week. I think that only adds to the likelihood of a cold start for both offenses.
Pick: 1Q Under 10.5
