Texas has drawn level with Ohio State for the lead in National Championship odds after its weekend victory over Tennessee in Knoxville.
The co-leaders are tied at +500 at BetMGM, but Georgia is in hot pursuit after blowing out Oklahoma and shortening to +550.
- This is the first time all year that Ohio State hasn’t been the outright leader.
- Georgia has steadily worked its way up to being within touching distance of the top teams.
- Florida gained substantial ground by beating Ole Miss, improving from +5,000 to +2,000
| Team | Opening | Last Week | Current |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ohio State | +600 | +550 | +500 |
| Texas | +700 | +600 | +500 |
| Georgia | +900 | +700 | +550 |
| Notre Dame | +700 | +650 | +650 |
| Miami (FL) | +2,000 | +800 | +800 |
| Indiana | +800 | +900 | +900 |
| LSU | +1,500 | +1,500 | +1,200 |
| Florida | +8,000 | +5,000 | +2,000 |
| Alabama | +1,500 | +2,500 | +2,500 |
| Ole Miss | +4,000 | +1,700 | +2,500 |
College football National Championship odds opened with Ohio State as a +600 leader back in January, according to SportsOddsHistory. They remained the leader even after losing to Texas in Week 2, but they finally relinquished sole control of first place.
A 42-19 win over Illinois couldn’t prevent Texas from shortening after taking down Tennessee, 20-17. Arch Manning only had 201 yards and an interception, but stellar defensive end Colin Simmons registered five sacks in a dominant performance.
The biggest winner of the top contenders was Georgia, a familiar face in College Football Playoff conversations. Their defense suffocated John Matteer Oklahoma and finished with four turnovers in a 41-13 victory, moving them to a season-best +550.
Notre Dame (+650), Miami (+800) and Indiana (+900) all kept their foot on the gas with wins that did not cause a change in their future odds. LSU responded to an emotional loss to Ole Miss by trouncing Texas A&M, 35-6, helping them shorten from +1,500 to +1,200.
All in all, the current top seven contenders are exactly the same as they were one week ago — just with subtle changes in odds values. But that’s where the race to win the National Championship took a significant turn, as the chasing pack was filled with dramatic movement over the weekend.
Teams on the decline
Florida sent a message to the rest of college football after it eviscerated Ole Miss at home, 52-28. The win was so profound that the Gators jumped from No. 21 to No. 8 in the AP poll, their best ranking since December 2020, and dropped them from +5,000 to +2,000 in odds to win the National Championship. Star running back Jadan Baugh also vaulted into the top five in Heisman odds after being a relative afterthought in the conversation.
Ole Miss felt the effects of the loss, moving back from +1,700 to +2,500 in championship odds. That’s still tied for the ninth-best on the board.
The other team sitting at +2,500 is Alabama, which is getting better with every passing week. Although the Crimson Tide’s odds did not change since last week, their 49-18 win against South Carolina was easily their best performance of the season.
Further down the board, Oregon lengthened from +2,500 to +3,000 despite beating No. 12 USC on the road — likely as a response to quarterback Dante Moore suffering a concussion on a vicious hit that sent him out of the stadium in an ambulance.
Oklahoma dropped from +4,000 to +6,600, while USC regressed from +3,000 to +8,000. The last substantial odds movement occurred with Mississippi State, which remained perfect with a 31-24 win over Mizzou. Heisman candidate Kamario Taylor shone and ultimately helped the Bulldogs improve from +15,000 to +8,000 odds.
