Rob's Rankings: The best longshot bets for the 2018 season

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RELATED: Breaking down the Big Ten's 2018 QB battles

Legal sports gambling continues to expand its reach in America, and far be it for us at Rob’s Rankings to besmirch such a widespread (and now sort of legal) activity. But anyone can bet on Alabama to win the national title, Ohio State to capture the Big Ten crown or Daniel LaRusso to the All-Valley Karate Tournament. And what fun is that?

It’s why this week, we’ve concerned ourselves with ranking the six most interesting longshot bets for the upcoming college football season. For our purposes, we’ve defined “a longshot” as anything that pays out +650 or more. If you have a different definition of the word, get your own column because I make the rules around here, sucker.

Anyway, on with this week’s rankings.

Odds: +2000

Why it’s worth taking: Oklahoma is coming off a College Football Playoff appearance and has won the last three Big 12 titles. There’s something to be said for both of those things. So OU will be breaking in a new quarterback in multi-sport athlete Kyler Murray, people in Norman are seemingly thrilled with his ability under center. Lincoln Riley’s offense is a proven commodity that got the Sooners within inches of the title game last season, and the roster he now commands remains Big 12’s most impressive collection of talent.

OU seems like a solid enough bet to represent the league in the postseason and, as we know, anything can happen in a playoff scenario. Oklahoma is by no means an odds-on favorite to win the national title, but +2000 seems like an incredibly good value for a talented team in a less-than-overcrowded conference.

Why you’ll still lose: The Sooners may have to beat the Big 12’s second-best team twice if they hope to make the college football playoff. It will also need to improve its defense if it hopes to have success once it gets there. There are also plenty of threats inside the Big 12, where West Virginia, Kansas State, TCU and Texas could all be significantly improved.

Odds: +650

Why it’s worth taking: According to online odds, Miami is the biggest threat to steal the ACC title and keep Clemson out of the playoff. But Clemson is the conference’s favorite for good reason, as the Hurricanes are still seeking a solution at quarterback. Florida State, which is also thought to have a shot at dethroning the Tigers, has undergone a coaching change on the heels of a disastrous year, so the Tigers will likely find themselves in position to make a fourth appearance in a playoff that has existed for just five years.

Once in the playoff, anything can happen and Dabo Swinney is no stranger to the big stage. As just one of four active coaches with a national title to his name, your money is in good hands. So while +650 isn’t exactly a massive longshot, it’s long enough to qualify here. It’s also long enough to add some excitement to the season, as it seems unlikely that the Tigers will be eliminated from title contention early, thus setting your money on fire before December.

Why you’ll still lose: Because there are plenty of other hyper-talented teams out there? Alabama still exists. Oh, and Georgia will once again be a threat. Ohio State could find its way into the playoff as well. It’s also not exactly a certainty that Florida State or Miami won’t rise up and bite the Tigers before the playoff even starts. Still, this bet is the most reasonable option on a list filled with dramatic long shots, so there aren’t as many giant hurdles between you and a decent pay day. Still, you’re probably going to lose because that’s how gambling works.

Odds: +4000

Why it’s worth taking: The No. 1 overall recruit in last year’s class, Trevor Lawrence is undeniably talented and looked like a budding superstar during Clemson’s spring game. He’s already impressed everyone that has watched him throw and sent a few other quarterbacks on Dabo Swinney’s depth chart into the transfer market.

If Lawrence wins the job in fall camp or early in the season, which he’ll have every chance to do, he’ll find himself at the helm of one of the country’s most powerful teams. Regardless of who emerges from camp as the starter, Clemson is the favorite to win the ACC and return to the college football playoff. Should that take place, the Tigers will probably land their quarterback – whomever it is – squarely in Heisman discussion. This bet is about value, so time is of the essence here because the odds will plummet at warp speed should it begin to seem as though Lawrence may get the nod to start the year.

Why you’ll still lose: Lawrence is attempting to beat out incumbent Kelly Bryant, a quarterback that led the program to the College Football Playoff a season ago. Toppling a returning starter is difficult enough. Overtaking one that led a program to the brink of the title game is near impossible.

The burden of proof will be massive for Lawrence, who will have to far outperform Bryant this fall to win the job. After all, it takes a lot to get a coach to tinker with something that clearly works. Seeing as you could lose before week three, this bet has potential to be the worst kind of wager – the kind that provides absolutely no suspense while simultaneously snatching your money without so much as a tip of the hat.

Odds: +1500

Why it’s worth taking: Kansas State is +750 to make the CFP but +1500 to win the Big 12, and since the first one almost certainly won’t happen without the second one, this is the play. Bill Snyder returns two quarterbacks that found success on the filed a year ago in Alex Delton and Skylar Thompson, and college football’s oldest coach has typically been at his best when he returns a signal-caller. The Wildcats also return some stalwart talent along the offensive line and in the secondary, where veteran Duke Shelly has started at K-State since he was a freshman. The Wildcats’ marquee non-conference game is a winnable contest with Mississippi State in Manhattan.

Why you’ll still lose: The Wildcats’ conference schedule is a nightmare. K-State plays on the road against TCU, Oklahoma and West Virginia and could easily go 1-2 in that that stretch, which could end their title hopes early. The question of which wide receivers step up to become weapons in the passing game is also a lingering one. The odds sit at +1500 for a reason, after all.

Odds: +1400

Why it’s worth taking: Khalil Tate was one of college football’s most exciting players a year ago and there was some Heisman buzz following him early in the season. Now armed with Kevin Sumlin, a coach that molded Johnny Manziel’s similar skill set into a Heisman-winning package, that buzz is back and stronger than ever. The combination of Tate and Sumlin is a major talking point this offseason, making it easy to forget that the Arizona quarterback earned his buzz without Sumlin’s guidance or the comparisons to Manziel. It stands to reason that Tate would be in the thick of this discussion even if dismissed coach Rich Rodriguez was still around.

Why you’ll still lose: Arizona plays in the Pac-12, which some will argue hurts a prospect’s Heisman campaign. Also, this year’s field seems particularly crowded. Wisconsin running back Jonathan Taylor will enter the season as the favorite and players at blue blood programs, such as Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and Ohio State tailback J.K. Dobbins, will dominate the early-season conversation. Tate will have to overcome a lot in order to win you any money, but his athletic ability is stunning enough to make +1300 seem a good value.

Odds: +1800

Why it’s worth taking: South Carolina has been granted a week two game against Georgia, a team that could still be looking to find its footing. Should South Carolina pull off the upset there, all hell could break loose. The Gamecocks' schedule is filled with winnable games.

Why you’ll still lose: It’s easier to write about a miracle run through the SEC in a preseason gambling column than it is to, you know, actually pull it off. Plus, even if South Carolina maneuvers its way through the schedule well enough to capture the SEC East crown, Will Muschamp and company will more than likely have to find a way past Alabama in order for your bet to cash. If gambling on longshots was easy, everyone would be rich.