We’re about three weeks away from the first games in the 2021 college football season, and the opening games feature some big matchups, as Georgia and Clemson will tangle in Charlotte, and Miami (FL) and Alabama will meet in Atlanta. As far as the sports betting odds to win the national championship go, things have not shifted significantly in the last few weeks, as rosters have remained static. One of the biggest stories comes out of the Pac-12, where at Arizona State, a third of Herm Edwards’ staff is on paid leave as a result of an ongoing NCAA investigation, which leaves the team in dire straits as far as preparation for the upcoming season is concerned.
Check out the latest college football odds as well as our thoughts on some of the contenders.
NCAA News: Updated Odds to Win the National Championship
| Contender | Odds |
|---|---|
| Alabama Crimson Tide | +250 |
| Clemson Tigers | +450 |
| Georgia Bulldogs | +500 |
| Ohio State Buckeyes | +600 |
| Oklahoma Sooners | +800 |
| Iowa State Cyclones | +2500 |
| Texas A&M Aggies | +3000 |
| LSU Tigers | +3500 |
| Florida Gators, Notre Dame Fighting Irish, Miami Hurricanes, Oregon Ducks, Penn State Nittany Lions | +4000 |
| Wisconsin Badgers, North Carolina Tar Heels, USC Trojans, Texas Longhorns, Michigan Wolverines, Tennessee Volunteers | +5000 |
| Arizona State Sun Devils, Washington Huskies, N.C. State Wolfpack, Oklahoma State Cowboys, West Virginia Mountaineers | +6600 |
| Auburn Tigers, Indiana Hoosiers | +8000 |
You can’t talk about the college football national championship without discussing Alabama. They start with Miami, and they also have to visit Florida two weeks later, and the team lost offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian. So how did Nick Saban respond? He went out and got Bill O’Brien, former head coach at Penn State and with the Houston Texans, where he had a lengthy run of AFC South titles. With Mac Jones, Najee Harris and DeVonta Smith all heading to the NFL, Saban simply refilled those positions with Bryce Young, Brian Robinson and John Metchie. Can anyone stop the Tide?
We’re hearing a lot about Oklahoma, who will head to the SEC in one of the next few seasons but who still have a Big 12 schedule to negotiate this season. They get Iowa State at home, as well as Nebraska, coming in for a Game of the Century celebration that should be an easy Sooner win. The matchup with Texas at the State Fair in Dallas is always intriguing, but this should really be another easy skate to a conference title. However, the Sooners have made a habit out of getting routed in the national semifinal, so unless the defense is significantly improved, it would not surprise me to see the CFP selection committee go with another team if their records are similar.
Clemson also has to replace a quarterback and a tailback, and Dabo Swinney has D.J. Uiagalelei coming in to run the offense. He looked terrific against Notre Dame and BC last season, so he’s ready to roll. Will Shipley has had a terrific set of summer workouts, and the backfield has a ton of talent. The defensive front is loaded, and the secondary returns its starters — and they should be ready to get some redemption after their embarrassment against Ohio State in the national semifinal.
After their opener with Clemson, Georgia has a very friendly schedule, as they don’t have LSU, Texas A&M or Alabama in SEC play. J.T. Daniels finished 2020 in solid fashion at quarterback, but the real reload will come on defense, but Tykee Smith comes to town and should lead an aggressive unit. If Georgia can beat Clemson, then even a loss to Alabama in the SEC Championship shouldn’t keep them out of the College Football Playoff. Lose both, though, and the Bulldogs might be on the outside yet again.
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