Ohio State, Georgia, Oregon lead nation in title odds, win totals
The college football season is just weeks away, and training camps across the country have opened in preparation for another wild campaign. This year's postseason changes and conference realignment should create even more chaos (and fan confusion).
Remember, 12 teams qualify for this season's College Football Playoff, and the Pac-12's mostly extinct conference has shifted the sport's balance of power. Still, some familiar programs sit atop the oddsboard and win total projections.
Georgia and Ohio State are co-favorites (+325) to win the national title, with Oregon trailing at +700, per theScore Bet. All three have a win total of 10.5. Texas and Notre Dame also have 10.5 win totals, but implied probability suggests they have less than a 50% chance of earning 11 or more wins.
Oregon has a 50% implied probability of winning at least 11 games in its first season in the Big Ten. The West Coast school is loaded with talent a year after a 12-2 season. Head coach Dan Lanning opted to stay in Eugene despite other prestigious offers. Quarterback Bo Nix was drafted in the first round after leading one of the nation's best offenses in 2023. The Ducks replaced him with Dillon Gabriel, a sixth-year transfer from Oklahoma and the Heisman favorite.
Gabriel's skill combined with Oregon's pass-heavy attack should create another explosive Ducks offense. The Pac-12, however, is much different than the Big Ten, where physicality and strong line play reign supreme. There could be an adjustment period for Oregon, which faces Michigan, Ohio State, and rival Washington. Oregon is a projected favorite against every opponent except Ohio State.
Ohio State is the Big Ten favorite and has its best roster since Ryan Day took over in 2019. Day is 1-3 against Michigan, casting a dark cloud over an otherwise outstanding resume. He's 56-8 at Ohio State and 39-0 against Big Ten opponents other than Michigan. With Jim Harbaugh out of the picture and Michigan expected to take a step back, Buckeye fans hope this is the year they not only leap the Wolverine hurdle but also win their first national title since 2014.
Other than Michigan, Ohio State's most difficult opponents are Oregon and Penn State. The Buckeyes are projected favorites in all 12 of their games. Oddsmakers give them a 60% chance of clearing 10.5 wins - the highest probability of any team in the country - but they could run the regular-season table.
After failing to three-peat, Georgia is back in the mix as the co-favorite to win its third national championship in four years. Kirby Smart is college football's best recruiter, consistently stacking his roster with NFL talent that wreaks havoc on the SEC. Carson Beck returns at quarterback after a full year of experience in 2023. He has the second-best odds to win the Heisman Trophy.
Part of the reason Georgia's projected to win at least 11 games is because it doesn't have a particularly challenging schedule. The Bulldogs open the season against Clemson, which is projected to be improved from last season but isn't the powerhouse it was a few years ago. Georgia's two toughest SEC challengers are Alabama and Texas.
Alabama defeated Georgia in the SEC championship game last season, knocking the Bulldogs out of the College Football Playoff. That will be a revenge spot against the Crimson Tide, who shouldn't be as dangerous without Nick Saban. The Bulldogs can afford one loss while still clearing their win total and winning the SEC, where Georgia is the favorite (+200) to win the conference.
Winning the conference championship has significant implications: The four major conference champions receive automatic bids and a first-round bye in the College Football Playoff. The expanded Big Ten and SEC will rule the sport if oddsmakers are accurate.
Sam Oshtry is a sports betting writer at theScore. You can follow him on X @soshtry for more betting coverage.