Is the race for the 2024 college football national title among four teams?
Georgia and Ohio State enter the season as the clear favorites to win the first 12-team College Football Playoff with Texas and Oregon not far behind. The Bulldogs are +300 to win the title at BetMGM, while Ohio State is at +325.
Texas and its suddenly shorthanded running back room is at +700 and Oregon, the summer darling of bettors, is now at +800.
No other team has odds better than 15-1. Alabama and Ole Miss are tied as the No. 5 favorites at +1500.
Georgia returns QB Carson Beck and is stacked with four- and five-star recruits at nearly every position. The Bulldogs were undefeated heading into the SEC title game before losing to Alabama and missing the playoff a year ago.
Ohio State lost WR Marvin Harrison Jr. to the NFL Draft but brought back nearly every other key draft-eligible player who was able to come back. The Buckeyes have also added former Kansas State QB Will Howard, ex-Ole Miss RB Quinshon Judkins and former Alabama DB Caleb Downs to an already loaded roster. With Michigan needing to reload and rebuild after its title run, this should be the season that Ohio State breaks the Wolverines three-game winning streak in their annual rivalry game.
Texas QB Quinn Ewers returned for another season in Austin and the team reloaded its wide receiver room through the transfer portal. The Longhorns have, however, lost two running backs in recent days. Both CJ Baxter and Christian Clark have suffered season-ending injuries in fall camp and Texas is now down to three scholarship backs.
Oregons odds have improved over the summer as new QB Dillon Gabriel has emerged as the Heisman favorite following his transfer from Oklahoma. Gabriel has been wildly productive in his first five seasons of college football and looks to be a great replacement for Bo Nix after he set the NCAA record for completion percentage in a single season in 2023. The Ducks host Ohio State in October in what could be a preview of the Big Ten championship game in December.
Overall, 15 teams have title odds of either 40-1 or better entering the season. After Ole Miss and Alabama, LSU, Penn State and Notre Dame are all at +2000. Michigan is at +2500 along with Florida State.
As a reminder, the 12-team playoff will be comprised of the top five conference champions in the College Football Playoff rankings at the end of the season and seven at-large teams. The top four seeds receive first-round byes and those seeds are reserved for conference champs.
Georgia (+300)
Ohio State (+325)
Oregon (+700)
Texas (+800)
Alabama (+1500)
Ole Miss (+1500)
LSU (+2000)
Penn State (+2000)
Notre Dame (+2000)
Michigan (+2500)
Florida State (+2500)
Tennessee (+3000)
Missouri (+3500)
Texas A&M (+4000)
Utah (+4000)