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With the College Football Playoff set to expand to 12 teams this season, a familiar team has been listed as the favorite to win the national championship.
DraftKings Sportsbook released its odds for the national championship game winner on Tuesday, and Georgia topped the list at +320. The top 12 teams on the list are as follows:
- Georgia: +320
- Ohio State: +425
- Texas: +700
- Oregon: +900
- LSU: +1400
- Alabama: +1400
- Ole Miss: +1500
- Michigan: +2000
- Florida State: +2200
- Penn State: +2500
- Notre Dame: +2500
- Clemson: +2800
Georgia won back-to-back national titles in 2021 and 2022. The Bulldogs’ quest for a three-peat fell short last season when they lost to the Alabama Crimson Tide in the SEC Championship, which gave them their first loss after starting the year at 12-0. The team settled for playing in the Capital One Orange Bowl, where it defeated Florida State 63-3.
Interestingly, the reigning national champion Michigan Wolverines were given the seventh-best odds to defend their title. Things will look different in Ann Arbor this season following the departure of head coach Jim Harbaugh, who chose to return to the NFL and become head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers. The Wolverines also lost multiple players to the NFL draft, most notably quarterback J.J. McCarthy, who was selected 10th overall by the Minnesota Vikings.
Michigan could face stiff competition from its biggest rival Ohio State, which has the second-best odds of winning the national title. The Buckeyes are hoping to bounce back from the disappointing end to the 2023 season that saw them lose to the Buckeyes in the Big Ten championship and to the Missouri Tigers in the Cotton Bowl Classic.
Texas appears poised to make some noise in what will be the school’s first year in the SEC, as the conference realignment will become official in July. The Longhorns earned a spot in the College Football Playoff last season but lost to the Washington Huskies in the semifinals, so they will surely be motivated to earn a better finish this year.
