Author
Christopher Boan is the lead writer at BetArizona.com after covering sports and sports betting in Arizona for more than seven years, including stops at ArizonaSports.com, the Tucson Weekly and the Green Valley News.
How Do 3-0 Starts Pan Out For NCAA College Football Teams?
For the first time since 2021, the Arizona State Sun Devils are 3-0, having beaten Wyoming (48-7), Mississippi State (30-23) and Texas State (31-28) in succession to open the season. This week, Texas Tech hosts ASU in Lubbock in the teams’ first showdown as Big 12 foes, while also serving as the Sun Devils official welcoming party to the Tempe university’s new conference home.
In the game itself, oddsmakers from BetMGM Arizona have ASU down as a three-point road underdog, speaking to the challenge that awaits Kenny Dillingham’s bunch in Week 4 of the college football regular season.
To get a sense of how last year’s cast of college football teams that started 3-0 fared, BetArizona.com broke down the tape to see how those squads finished, with a mixed bag of success for those teams a year ago.
Bonus Bets Expire in 7 Days. One New Customer Offer Only. Must be 21+ to participate & present in AZ. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-NEXT-STEP. Visit BetMGM.com for Terms & Conditions. US promotional offers not available in NY, NV, or Puerto Rico.
Season Performance Of 3-0 NCAA Teams In 2023
Average W-L Record | 9-4* |
|
Final AP Poll Top 25 Appearance | 14 of 25 possible | 56.0% |
Bowl Game Appearance | 32 of 36 teams | 88.9% |
College Football Playoff Appearance | 3 of 4 possible | 75.0% |
*Rounded to nearest whole number
Must be 21+ to participate & present in Arizona. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-NEXT-STEP. Deposit required. Bonus Bets winnings are added to Bonus Bets balance. Bonus Bet wager excluded from returns. T&Cs Apply.
How Did Last Year’s 3-0 Squads Fare?
Overall, the nine Power Four teams that won their first three games of the season in 2023 averaged out to a 9-4 record at season’s end, with CFP finalists Washington and champs Michigan among them.
Throw in fellow CFP participant Texas and two 13-win squads in Florida State and Georgia and you have the full list of the top end 3-0 finishers in the Power Four last year, while 4-8 duds like Colorado and Wake Forest were at the opposite end of the football spectrum in 2023-24.
Other less-than-stellar 3-0 teams in 2023 included BYU and Washington State, who went from winning their first three games to finishing 2-7 to miss out on bowl season entirely, setting the low end of the stick for this year’s cast of 3-0 teams in the college football space.
Last year, 32 of the 36 teams that started 3-0 (or 88.9%) made a bowl game, while 14 of the 25 teams in the year-end AP top 25 poll (or 56%) started the season with three straight wins. This year, a handful of hopefuls will look to join the likes of Michigan and Washington and avoid the pitfalls that befell teams like Colorado and BYU at this point a year ago across the Power Four conferences of the FBS.
Stick with BetArizona all season for more college football insights, including our Pac 12 Expansion Candidates.
USA Today photo by Joe Rondone.
Cited by leading media organizations, such as:
