With the college football season just a week and a day away, you can feel the excitement in the air. For what feels like the first time in a long time, there appears to be parity ahead of this college football season. There are certainly a multitude of blue bloods near the top of the pack, but lurking with a legitimate shot this upcoming season are some teams many haven’t seen at the top of the college football world in a long time. The expansion to 12 teams in the College Football Playoff has created a path for programs that never could’ve imagined an opportunity for the national championship before. This expansion also opens far more possibilities for bettors, as teams that would’ve been eliminated early in the season in years past now still have the chance to be crowned champion at the end of the season. Let’s take a look at some of the contenders at this point in the preseason and see what the current implied odds are.
Embed from Getty ImagesNational Champion Odds/Implied Probabilities (Per DraftKings; all teams better than +10,000 Odds)
| Teams | Odds | Implied Probability |
| Texas | +550 | 15.38% |
| Ohio State | +550 | 15.38% |
| Penn State | +700 | 12.50% |
| Georgia | +750 | 11.76% |
| Clemson | +1,000 | 9.09% |
| Alabama | +1,000 | 9.09% |
| Notre Dame | +1,200 | 7.69% |
| Oregon | +1,300 | 7.14% |
| LSU | +1,400 | 6.67% |
| Michigan | +2,800 | 3.45% |
| Florida | +4,000 | 2.44% |
| Texas A&M | +4,000 | 2.44% |
| Miami | +4,000 | 2.44% |
| Ole Miss | +5,000 | 1.96% |
| Tennessee | +6,000 | 1.64% |
| Oklahoma | +6,000 | 1.64% |
| Auburn | +7,000 | 1.41% |
| South Carolina | +7,000 | 1.41% |
This list features 18 different teams with a legitimate shot at the title this season. Clearly, there are a lot of SEC teams here, so if you’re confident in one of the longer shots, it’s best to get that bet in early, because once conference play begins, many of these teams will play their way out of contention, shortening the odds for several others. In just week 1, we’ll see 3 matchups between teams on the list, starting with the two top dogs listed at +550 in Texas vs. Ohio State, then LSU vs. Clemson, and lastly Notre Dame vs. Miami, so we’re guaranteed a big shakeup early in the national championship odds.
Final Thoughts
There’s plenty to look forward to this college football season, especially early on with numerous headline matchups. As we saw last season, particularly with recent national champion Ohio State, a regular season loss doesn’t end your chances, but it certainly raises urgency within a locker room to get things fixed quickly. From a betting perspective, this college football landscape offers a ton of opportunities, especially in the futures market, and in watching how the odds will shift throughout the season. With so many teams in the mix this year, this season’s 12-team playoff ride is going to be one to remember.
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