This week, it was Purdue’s turn to upend the top of the college football rankings. They headed to then-#2 Iowa and delivered a 24-7 whipping, picking off four passes and vaulting into the AP Top 25 themselves. Most of the other top games went according to form. #1 Georgia took down Kentucky, 30-13, to give the Wildcats their first loss. Alabama trounced Mississippi State, 49-9. Cincinnati is now ranked #2 in the nation, and if the Bearcats win out, it seems like it will be impossible for the CFP committee to leave them out of the national semifinals.
Let’s look at the latest college football betting odds to win the national championship, along with our thoughts on some of the contenders.
NCAA News: Updated Odds to Win the National Championship
Team Odds
| Georgia | +130 |
| Alabama | +225 |
| Ohio State | +800 |
| Oklahoma | +1200 |
| Cincinnati | +2000 |
| Michigan | +3000 |
| Iowa, Michigan State | +5000 |
| Penn State, Oklahoma State | +6600 |
| Oregon, Notre Dame, Arizona State | +8000 |
| Texas, Texas A&M, Pitt, Kentucky | +10000 |
| N.C. State, Clemson, Wake Forest, Ole Miss, UCLA | +15000 |
Cincinnati got a bowl game with Georgia last winter, and while the game was close into the fourth quarter, the Bearcats blinked under the pressure, and the Bulldogs pulled away. This time, with wins at Indiana and Notre Dame, the Bearcats seem ready for a bigger stage. Last week, they ran out to a 35-0 start against UFC, as Jerome Ford ran for 189 yards and four scores. This is a good sign given that Cincinnati has relied heavily on big passes down the field; Desmond Ridder went just 13 of 23 for 140 yards and a score, but the run game and the defense meant that no one really noticed.
Georgia was tested in the first half against Kentucky, going into the locker room only up 14-7. However, in the second half, the Bulldogs pulled away, thanks to defense and special teams. Stetson Bennett went 14 of 20 for 250 yards and three scores, cementing his hold on the quarterback position while J.T. Daniels recuperates from a muscle injury. Tight end Brock Bower caught five balls for 101 yards and two touchdowns. His speed and agility mean that opposing linebackers have a difficult time covering him. The Bulldogs now go into their bye week ahead of their annual matchup with Florida in Jacksonville.
Alabama saw its defense return in a 49-9 whipping of Mississippi State, as the Bulldogs only picked up 4.0 yards per play. Alabama posted seven sacks, and Jordan Battle had a pick-six in the first quarter. Bryce Young only needed 28 pass attempts to stack up 348 yards. The Tide had permitted 6.5 yards per play against Texas A&M, and the Tide looked refocused. With the Iron Bowl looming, though, it will be interesting to see how Alabama looks in another storied rivalry game on the road.
Why is Oklahoma in the top four in the nation? Sure, they look ready to win the Big 12 again. However, their defense has started to take on water, as we saw against Texas and TCU. Oklahoma’s offense is elite, but their defense is porous once again. It will be a shame to see them occupying a slot in the CFP semifinals, only to take another embarrassing rout because of that shoddy defense. Moving to the SEC will reveal these flaws and keep this iteration of the Sooners away from the national title picture, but for now, don’t compound the issue by betting on them to win the whole thing.
Oklahoma State has defense this year, as we saw when they got a pick-six just before halftime from Jason Taylor II, turning a potential 24-3 halftime deficit into 17-13. Their point differential through six games is just +42, the third-lowest for any 6-0 team since 1936. The defense also got a stop on fourth and three with 3:12 remaining and an interception with 1:57 remaining. The Bedlam game with Oklahoma has the potential to have high drama for once.
College Football Betting Odds
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