The infamous Blue Bloods are notorious in college basketball, holding 39 national championships and counting between the respective six schools — UCLA, Kentucky, North Carolina, Duke, Indiana and Kansas. Though, UConn is considered a member of the pack by holding five titles after winning it all in 2023.
First coined in the newspapers in 1927, the Blue Bloods is a group of the most elite in NCAAB and always dominant in the annual March Madness. But, what if this legacy is starting to carry over into college football?
Through four weeks of the college football season, four of these schools still carry undefeated records. Between the six schools, there's just three losses combined.
Blue Bloods In week 1 of College Football
Week 1 saw all but one come out on top, Indiana could only manage three-points against the No. 5 Ohio State Buckeyes.
But, in true Blue Blood fashion, there were head-turning upsets. Duke, entering with a +344 ML, shockingly defeated No. 9 Clemson, 28-7. The exhilarating win pushed the Blue Devils to be ranked No. 21 and dropped the Tigers all the way to No. 25 in the latest AP Poll.
Duke beats No. 9 Clemson 28-7 😳 pic.twitter.com/qzQF2xkAbr
— The Buckeye Nut (@TheBuckeyeNut) September 5, 2023
According to our database, the victory ended nearly a two decade drought in the series, with Duke having last defeated Clemson in November, 2004.
No. 17 North Carolina took down their inner-state rivals, the South Carolina Gamecocks, 31-17 and smashed their 2.5-point favored line. Tar Heels’ QB Drake Maye, a Heisman Trophy contender, completed 24-of-32 tosses for 269 yards and a duo of touchdowns.
Drake Maye’s eyes are always moving and he rips it over the middle of the field
— Nico (@elitetakes_) September 3, 2023
Not sure how much more complete of a passer you could ask for at the college level pic.twitter.com/AndTSVg63P
Week 1 blue blood scores and betting results
| Blue Blood Team vs Opponent | Final Score | Spread | Moneyline |
|---|---|---|---|
| UCLA vs Coastal Carolina | 27-13 (W) | -14.5 | -780 |
| Kentucky vs Ball State | 44-14 (W) | -25.0 | -4500 |
| Kansas vs Missouri State | 48-17 (W) | -32.5 | -10000 |
| North Carolina vs South Carolina | 31-17 (W) | -2.5 | -135 |
| Duke vs Clemson | 28-7 (W) | +12 | +345 |
| Indiana vs Ohio State | 23-3 (L) | +30 | +2060 |
So, Was Week 1 A Fluke?
Clearly not, four of the schools above are still undefeated through the first four weeks of the season. And three of them are sat in the AP Poll's Week 5 rankings -- No. 15 North Carolina, No. 17 Duke and No. 24 Kansas.
| Blue Blood Team | SU Record | ATS Record |
|---|---|---|
| UCLA Bruins | 3-1 | 2-2 |
| Kentucky Wildcats | 4-0 | 3-1 |
| Kansas Jayhawks | 4-0 | 2-2 |
| North Carolina Tar Heels | 4-0 | 3-1 |
| Duke Blue Devils | 4-0 | 3-1 |
| Indiana Hoosiers | 2-2 | 3-1 |
As of right now, the trends are looking familiar.
Blue bloods records in 2022
Through the first four weeks of 2022, The six Blue Blood schools starting gaining some traction, going 21-4 SU and 13-9-1 ATS combined. The Kansas Jayhawks, who stayed undefeated through five weeks. By Week 5, it was enough for the No. 17 Jayhawks to earn their first AP Poll ranking since 2009.
The UCLA Bruins also held down the fort, going 8-1 SU, 6-3 ATS and 7-3 O/U through the first nine weeks of the season. Back-to-back losses during ranked meetings with Arizona and USC kept the Bruins out of CFP discussions.
2022 blue blood betting results through first four weeks
| Blue Blood Team | Record | Spread Record |
|---|---|---|
| UCLA Bruins | 4-0 | 2-2 |
| Kentucky Wildcats | 4-0 | 3-1 |
| Kansas Jayhawks | 4-0 | 4-0 |
| North Carolina Tar Heels | 3-1 | 1-1-1 |
| Duke Blue Devils | 3-1 | 2-2 |
| Indiana Hoosiers | 3-1 | 1-3 |
So, are these renowned basketball schools starting to gain credit as football schools? I guess we’ll keep a close eye on them as the season progresses.
