We’re getting down to the nitty gritty of the 2015 college football season with much still to be decided over the next three weeks. Some teams have come from out of nowhere to throw their hat into the College Football Playoff ring, while others have been major players since before the season even kicked off. The following are three teams I’ve already got positions on to win it all, and I suggest you get in the game to allow for hedging opportunities down the road.
ODDS TO WIN 2015/2016 FBS NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
ALABAMA +250
BAYLOR +3300
CLEMSON +400
FLORIDA +1800
IOWA +2500
MICHIGAN +8000
MICHIGAN STATE +6600
NOTRE DAME +1000
OHIO STATE +300
OKLAHOMA +600
OKLAHOMA STATE +1600
TCU +3300
FAVORITE TO BACK: Alabama Crimson Tide +250
No shock here. Nick Saban simply knows how to get it done. Even though Alabama dropped an ugly 43-37 decision at home to Ole Miss as decided favorites way back in late September, the Crimson Tide are now the favorite to win it all.
And why not? The defense has allowed only one opponent to score more than 20 points on them since the Rebels did the deed, and they just might have the Heisman Trophy winner toting the rock for them out of the backfield. Derrick Henry is single-handedly leading the Crimson Tide’s offense with 1,458 rushing yards, and it’s become more of a shock than the norm for him not to bust at least one long touchdown gallop per game.
With only a trip to underachieving Auburn remaining on the regular season docket – I’m not counting the scrimmage with Charleston Southern - as well as a likely clash with Florida in the SEC title game upcoming, the Crimson Tide look to be a shoe-in to return to the CFP with the hopes of advancing this time around.
LONGSHOT TO BACK: Notre Dame Fighting Irish +1000
While the odds aren’t nearly as juicy as they once were at the outset of the season when Brian Kelly’s kids were listed at +3300 to win it all, the current return on investment is still nothing to turn your nose up at. With only a two-point loss at Clemson as 3-point underdogs on the docket, Notre Dame has done enough in the oddsmakers eyes to drastically reduce their payout should they win their first title since 1988.
With a home game against Boston College and a trip to Palo Alto to battle the Stanford Cardinal all that stands in their way of qualifying for the CFP, it only makes perfect sense to at least grab a piece of this squad should they actually make it.
DeShone Kizer has proven to be an ample replacement under center in leading the Golden Domers to a 36.2 points per game scoring average. The stop unit has continued to play a solid brand of defense in making it extremely tough for opposing passing offenses to succeed while allowing just over three touchdowns per game. There seriously isn’t a team out there this team can’t compete with.
ODDS MOVEMENT: Oklahoma Sooners +600
Most of the talk in the Big 12 had centered around the Baylor Bears and TCU Horned Frogs who each felt as if they were scorned by the CFP invite committee a short season ago. The duo looked to be the cream of the crop for most of the Big 12 regular season up until TCU was destroyed at Oklahoma State and Baylor lost its starting quarterback and then its first game to OU just last week.
Bob Stoops’ kids were enormous +8000 underdogs to win it all after falling to Texas in the program’s Red River Rivalry game, but has since shot all the way up to +600 after rattling off five straight wins and dominating all opposition in the process outscoring them 276-84 to pull within a single game of conference leader Oklahoma State.
They just so happen to have a date with the Cowboys in Stillwater Thanksgiving weekend, but must host TCU first this weekend. Should they pass both tests, you have to imagine the committee will have no choice but to hand out another bid to a one-loss team. When that happens, I give Baker Mayfield and company a heck of a shot of going unscathed the rest of the way.
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