Top Early 2018 College Football National Championship Picks

The last two NCAA football National Championship games have featured the Clemson Tigers and the Alabama Crimson Tide. The Tigers return without standout quarterback Deshaun Watson, who is now battling for the starting job with the Houston Texans, but the Tide returns Jalen Hurts at quarterback for his sophomore season. That and the fact that the Crimson Tide always seem to reload, and that no one in the SEC seems to have what it takes to knock them off, are why the college football betting prognosticators have them once again as the favorite to take home that crystal football at the end of the title game. Let’s look at some of the teams near the top of that odds list and go over their real chances to win the 2018 College Football National Championship.

Top Early 2018 College Football National Championship Picks

There’s been a lot of talk about the best conference in college football. Which one deserves the top spot? pic.twitter.com/6hVT3AIc7w

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) July 25, 2017

Alabama Crimson Tide

Yes, the Crimson Tide lost a great deal of talent to the NFL after last season. They simply went out and got the #1 recruiting class according to 247Sports. They picked up dual-threat QB Tua Tagovailoa, who should get involved in the offense in some way this year, as well as tailback Najee Harris. Offensive tackle Alex Leatherwood, linebacker Dylan Moses, defensive end LaBryan Ray and wideout Jerry Jeudy are the other five-star recruits in their class. One possible struggle could come as the Tide welcome their sixth offensive coordinator since 2007, as former New England Patriots assistant Brian Daboll arrives to take over the unit. Down the stretch last year, Nick Saban did not mesh well with offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin, who left after the national semifinal, and then Steve Sarkisian left the team after the Super Bowl to take the offensive coordinator position with the Atlanta Falcons. That relationship will be key to the Tide’s hopes this year.

LATEST COLLEGE FOOTBALL BETTING TRENDS

• Odds to Win 2018 College Football National Championship: +300
• Odds to Win SEC Conference: -190
• 2017-18 Regular Season Wins: O 11 -130 / U 11 +100

USC Trojans

Quarterback Sam Darnold showed down the stretch — most memorably in that Rose Bowl win over Penn State — that he isn’t just hype. He led Pac-12 quarterbacks in passer rating under pressure with 101.0. Jake Browning, who took Washington to the national semifinals, only posted an 80.6 in comparison. USC does enter the season on a nine-game winning streak that saw wins over Colorado, Notre Dame, UCLA, Washington — and Penn State. However, that momentum has had a long time to dissipate. On the defensive side of the ball, they have to figure out how to mount a pass rush. Porter Gustin, Rasheem Green and Uchenna Nwosu all have the talent and speed to cause problems off the edge. However, without a pass rush they won’t win the Pac-12 South, let alone the national championship.

LATEST COLLEGE FOOTBALL BETTING TRENDS

• Odds to Win 2018 College Football National Championship: +600
• Odds to Win PAC 12 Conference: -125
• 2017-18 Regular Season Wins: O 10½ +100 / U 10½ -130.

Ohio State Buckeyes

Urban Meyer went out and found five five-star recruits in this year’s class: Chase Young, Wyatt Davis, Shaun Wade, Jeffrey Okudah and Baron Browning. Quarterback Tate Martell has a four- star rating, as the Buckeyes envision a future after J.T. Barrett. Barrett has a lot of skins of his own, posting a 26-4 record as a starter and having scored 100 combined touchdowns. How will he mesh with new offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson — whom Indiana just fired for allegations of player mistreatment — and what changes will take place in the program? The Buckeyes also lost all four secondary starters to the NFL draft. They have some depth, but Okudah and Wade are early enrollees are expected to come in and contribute right away. This is a unit that scored seven pick-sixes a year ago, and while this squad might not match that, they should cover well.

LATEST COLLEGE FOOTBALL BETTING TRENDS

• Odds to Win 2018 College Football National Championship: +450
• Odds to Win Big Ten Conference: +140
• 2017-18 Regular Season Wins: O 11 -110 / U 11 -120

Florida State Seminoles

The Seminoles have operated largely in the shadow of Dabo Swinney’s Clemson Tigers the past few years, but they have finished in the Top 10 in five of the last seven seasons, and they have won at least 10 games in six of those seasons. They’ll get the big test they want right away this year, as they face Alabama in the season opener in Atlanta’s sparkling new Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Then they get to play at Clemson later on in the season. Quarterback Deondre Francois is the main reason why the Seminoles are ranked this highly in the odds table. He brought stability to the position — and with a better line this year, Francois should see his numbers go up even more. Francois posted wins in four of the six games in which he faced ranked opponents last season. But can Jacques Patrick replace Dalvin Cook at tailback?

LATEST COLLEGE FOOTBALL BETTING TRENDS

• Odds to Win 2018 College Football National Championship: +600
• Odds to Win SEC Conference: +800
• 2017-18 Regular Season Wins: O 8½ -105 / U 8½ -125