College Football Title Odds: Reigning Champs on the Rise

College Football Title Odds: Reigning Champs on the Rise

A few fairly major question marks surrounded Clemson heading into 2017. For one, how would they replace star QB Deshaun Watson? Sure, it seemed that Kelly Bryant would ultimately win the job, but it was essentially an open competition all offseason. The Tigers suffered other major losses as well, including WR Mike Williams and TE Jordan Leggett, and returned only 12 starters from their 2016 Championship squad.

We figured we’d know by the end of Week 3, after playing Auburn and Louisville back to back, if they could really contend again.

Well, Week 3 is now in the books, and the oddsmakers have spoken. After Saturday’s 47-21 beatdown in Louisville, Clemson is now one of only four teams with better than 10/1 odds to win the title, along with Bama, USC, and Oklahoma.

SchoolSep 18
(BetOnline)
Sep 11
(BetOnline)
Sep 7
(5Dimes)
Aug 21
(5Dimes)
July 18
(5Dimes)
June 24
(5Dimes)
Jan 9
(Westgate)
Alabama CRIMSON TIDE+175+200+225+245+265+310+300
USC TROJANS+700+700+800+775+825+825+800
Oklahoma SOONERS+700+800+1800+1800+1300+1300+800
Clemson TIGERS+800+1200+2000+3600+3500+3500+2000
Ohio St BUCKEYES+1000+1600+650+800+825+875+800
Penn St NITTANY LIONS+1200+1400+2400+2200+1800+2000+2500
Michigan WOLVERINES+1400+1200+2000+2700+2500+2500+1200
Oklahoma St COWBOYS+1400+2000+3300+4250+4800+5300+2000
Georgia BULLDOGS+2000+2800+4150+3500+5000+5000+3000
Washington HUSKIES+2800+3300+3700+2350+2800+2800+3000
Florida St SEMINOLES+3300+3300+3500+975+850+850+800
Auburn TIGERS+3300+4000+2800+2000+2300+3200+2500
Oregon DUCKS+3300+5000+8500+11500+12500+12500+6000
Wisconsin BADGERS+3300+3300+4150+4000+4000+5500+4000
LSU TIGERS+5000+1600+2400+2000+2200+2200+1200
Miami FL HURRICANES+5000+5000+6000+8000+8500+8500+3000
Texas A&M AGGIES+5000+5000+17500+22500+20000+20000+10000
Florida GATORS+5000+8000+7000+4500+4500+5000+4000
Louisville CARDINALS+6600+3300+5500+5300+5000+5000+1000
Notre Dame FIGHTING IRISH+6600+8000+5250+8700+8000+8000+6000
TCU HORNED FROGS+6600+5000+8500+11500+11500+11500+6000
South Florida BULLS+8000+10000+25000+12500+30000+50000+30000
Washington St COUGARS+8000+8000+11000+16000+12500+12500+6000
Minnesota GOLDEN GOPHERS+8000+12500+25000+60000+50000+50000+10000
Virginia Tech HOKIES+10000+5000+8000+9000+8500+8500+4000
UCLA BRUINS+10000+6600+8500+10300+12500+12500+6000
Iowa HAWKEYES+10000+10000+30000+40000+30000+30000+20000
Stanford CARDINAL+12500+6600+7500+11000+10000+10000+6000
Tennessee VOLUNTEERS+12500+8000+8500+10300+10000+10000+4000
Michigan St SPARTANS+12500+10000+18500+60000+50000+50000+10000
Texas LONGHORNS+15000+10000+10500+5000+4500+4500+2000
Kansas St WILDCATS+15000+6600+9000+12000+7000+7000+3000
Colorado BUFFALOES+12500+10000+20000+35000+25000+25000+6000
West Virginia MOUNTAINEERS+15000+15000+17500+50000+15000+15000+5000
Utah UTES+15000+15000+27500+35000+30000+30000+10000
Pittsburgh PANTHERS+35000+25000+35000+65000+35000+35000+30000
Nebraska CORNHUSKERS+50000+25000+22500+22500+20000+20000+10000
Boise St BRONCOS+50000+50000+50000+90000+60000+60000+10000
Ole Miss REBELSN/AN/A+12500+999999N/AN/A+8000
Arkansas RAZORBACKSN/AN/A+25000+50000+40000+40000+20000
North Carolina TAR HEELSN/AN/A+30000+65000+50000+50000+10000
South Carolina GAMECOCKSN/AN/A+30000+95000+60000+60000+30000
Northwestern WILDCATSN/AN/A+32500+40000+35000+35000+10000
Mississippi St BULLDOGSN/AN/A+32500+60000+50000+50000+20000
Georgia Tech YELLOW JACKETSN/AN/A+40000+70000+60000+60000+10000
California GOLDEN BEARSN/AN/A+45000+750000+300000+300000+50000
Houston COUGARSN/AN/A+45000+250000+150000+150000+50000
Missouri TIGERSN/AN/A+45000+120000+100000+100000+100000
Arizona WILDCATSN/AN/A+45000+400000+300000+300000+50000
Iowa St CYCLONESN/AN/A+50000+250000+150000+150000+50000
Maryland TERRAPINSN/AN/A+50000+400000+300000+300000+30000
Vanderbilt COMMODORESN/AN/A+50000+150000+150000+150000+50000
BYU COUGARSN/AN/A+50000+22500+20000+35000+30000
Syracuse ORANGEN/AN/A+50000+250000+200000+200000+30000
Arizona St SUN DEVILSN/AN/A+50000+60000+50000+50000+20000
Wake Forest DEMON DEACONSN/AN/A+50000+250000+200000+200000+30000
Texas Tech RED RAIDERSN/AN/A+55000+150000+100000+100000+30000
Duke BLUE DEVILSN/AN/A+60000+150000+75000+75000+50000
Boston College EAGLESN/AN/A+60000+300000+150000+150000+50000
Kentucky WILDCATSN/AN/A+60000+150000+100000+100000+30000
Oregon St BEAVERSN/AN/A+60000+250000+150000+150000+50000
Virginia CAVALIERSN/AN/A+60000+750000+600000+600000+50000
Baylor BEARSN/AN/A+65000+60000+35000+35000+30000
Memphis TIGERSN/AN/A+85000+250000+200000+200000+100000
Cincinnati BEARCATSN/AN/A+100000+999999+750000+750000+100000
Navy MIDSHIPMENN/AN/A+100000+250000+200000+200000+100000
Purdue BOILERMAKERSN/AN/A+100000+800000+600000+600000+100000
Southern Miss GOLDEN EAGLESN/AN/A+120000+999999+999999+999999N/A
Wyoming COWBOYSN/AN/A+125000+999999+999999+999999+100000
Troy TROJANSN/AN/A+125000+999999+999999+999999N/A
UNLV REBELSN/AN/A+125000+999999+999999+999999+100000
Rutgers SCARLET KNIGHTSN/AN/A+125000+999999+999999+999999+100000
UTEP MINERSN/AN/A+150000+999999+999999+999999N/A
Kansas JAYHAWKSN/AN/A+150000+999999+999999+999999+100000
Illinois FIGHTING ILLININ/AN/A+175000+800000+600000+600000+100000
Western Kentucky HILLTOPPERSN/AN/A+175000+500000+300000+300000+100000
Central Florida KNIGHTSN/AN/A+175000+999999+500000+500000+100000
Tulsa GOLDEN HURRICANEN/AN/A+175000+800000+500000+500000+100000
San Jose State SPARTANSN/AN/A+175000+999999+999999+999999N/A
Western Michigan BRONCOSN/AN/A+175000+750000+500000+500000N/A
Ohio BOBCATSN/AN/A+185000+999999+999999+999999N/A
Marshall THUNDERING HERDN/AN/A+200000+999999+750000+750000N/A
Utah State AGGIESN/AN/A+200000+999999+999999+999999+100000
Rice OWLSN/AN/A+200000+999999+999999+999999N/A
TOLEDON/AN/A+200000+800000N/AN/AN/A
SMU MUSTANGSN/AN/A+225000+999999+999999+999999+50000
Army BLACK KNIGHTSN/AN/A+225000+999999+750000+750000+100000
Indiana HOOSIERSN/AN/A+250000+150000+100000+100000+30000
Louisiana Tech BULLDOGSN/AN/A+250000+750000+500000+500000+100000
San Diego St AZTECSN/AN/A+250000+180000+150000+200000+100000
South Alabama JAGUARSN/AN/A+300000+999999+999999+999999N/A
Eastern Michigan EAGLESN/AN/A+300000+999999+999999+999999N/A
Tulane GREEN WAVEN/AN/A+300000+999999+999999+999999+100000
UL Lafayette RAGIN' CAJUNSN/AN/A+335000+999999+999999+999999N/A
Idaho VANDALSN/AN/AN/A+999999+999999+999999N/A
East Carolina PIRATESN/AN/AN/A+999999+999999+999999+100000
'FIELD'N/AN/AN/AN/AN/AN/A+100000
Air Force FALCONSN/AN/AN/A+999999+999999+999999+100000
Appalachian St MOUNTAINEERSN/AN/AN/A+999999+750000+750000N/A
Nevada WOLF PACKN/AN/AN/A+999999+999999+999999+100000
New Mexico LOBOSN/AN/AN/A+999999+999999+999999+100000
Texas State BOBCATSN/AN/AN/A+999999+999999+999999N/A
New Mexico St AGGIESN/AN/AN/A+999999+999999+999999N/A
Arkansas St RED WOLVESN/AN/AN/A+999999+750000+750000N/A
Middle Tennessee St BLUE RAIDERSN/AN/AN/A+999999+999999+999999N/A
Florida Atlantic OWLSN/AN/AN/A+999999+999999+999999N/A
UAB BLAZERSN/AN/AN/A+999999+999999+999999N/A
North Texas MEAN GREENN/AN/AN/A+999999+999999+999999N/A
Hawaii RAINBOWSN/AN/AN/A+999999+999999+999999N/A
Akron ZIPSN/AN/AN/A+999999+999999+999999N/A
UL Monroe WARHAWKSN/AN/AN/A+999999+999999+999999N/A
UMASS MINUTEMENN/AN/AN/A+999999+999999+999999N/A
Miami Ohio REDHAWKSN/AN/AN/A+999999+750000+750000N/A
Northern Illinois HUSKIESN/AN/AN/A+999999+999999+999999N/A
Buffalo BULLSN/AN/AN/A+999999+999999+999999N/A
Kent State GOLDEN FLASHESN/AN/AN/A+999999+999999+999999N/A
Temple OWLSN/AN/AN/A+750000+500000+500000+100000
UTSA ROADRUNNERSN/AN/AN/A+999999+999999+999999N/A
Central Michigan CHIPPEWASN/AN/AN/A+999999+999999+999999N/A
NC State WOLFPACKN/AN/AN/A+22500+20000+20000+10000
Florida International GOLDEN PANTHERSN/AN/AN/A+999999+999999+999999N/A
Charlotte 49ERSN/AN/AN/A+999999+999999+999999N/A
Fresno State BULLDOGSN/AN/AN/A+999999+999999+999999N/A
Old Dominion MONARCHSN/AN/AN/A+999999+999999+999999N/A
Bowling Green FALCONSN/AN/AN/A+999999+999999+999999N/A
Georgia Southern EAGLESN/AN/AN/A+999999+999999+999999N/A
Georgia State PANTHERSN/AN/AN/A+999999+999999+999999N/A
Colorado St RAMSN/AN/AN/A+300000+250000+250000+100000
Ball St CARDINALSN/AN/AN/A+999999+999999+999999N/A
UCONN HUSKIESN/AN/AN/A+999999+999999+999999N/A

A few takeaways from this week’s updated list:

While the rest of the college football world beats up on itself, Alabama’s odds have quietly been improving week by week. The Tide are now inside 2/1 for the first time this season.

In a case of taking advantage of overreactions, last week we highlighted Ohio State as having value at +1600 following their big loss to Oklahoma. As it turned out, a 38-7 home victory over Army–as 31.5 point favorites–was all it took to get the Buckeyes (+1000) back to having the best title odds in the Big Ten.

In a similar potential overreaction spot this week is LSU. After being embarrassed by Mississippi State 37-7, the Tigers have fallen from +1600 to +5000. Being an in-conference game, and that conference being the SEC West, this loss is more impactful than Ohio State’s loss last weekend. But, with LSU’s next two opponents being Syracuse and Troy, and with what we saw from Ohio State’s measly win over Army, +5000 may end up looking like a great price just a couple weeks from now.

What do you think? Is a Clemson repeat in the making? Can LSU still be considered a value play, or are they title chances officially down the drain after this past weekend? Leave your thoughts in the comment section or reach out to us on Twitter @SportsInsights.

Danny Donahue

If John Mellencamp ever wins an Oscar, I am gonna be a very rich dude. @dannyjdonahue on Twitter

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