Georgia enters the offseason as the consensus betting favorite to win next year’s national championship, the first to be decided by a 12-team playoff.
The Bulldogs were listed at 17-4 Monday on ESPN BET, followed by Alabama at 6-1 and Ohio State at 8-1. It’s the second straight season the Bulldogs have been the preseason favorite.
Michigan beat Washington in Monday’s championship game, but with question marks surrounding coach Jim Harbaugh’s future, the Wolverines are 9-1 for next season’s title, along with Texas. The Wolverines and Longhorns play in Ann Arbor, Michigan on September 7th.
Washington begins the offseason as a 60-1 long shot on ESPN BET.
The six highest-ranked conference champions will receive automatic bids to next year’s College Football Playoff, with the top four teams receiving a first-round bye. The six highest-ranked non-conference champions will complete the 12-team field.
Joey Feazel, chief college football trader for Caesars Sportsbook, said power ratings and schedules remain the main factors in creating national championship odds with the newly expanded playoffs.
“When the eight games are added to the mix for the national championship, it will certainly open doors for more teams to compete, especially when you add the guaranteed spot for a non-Power 5 [team]. Things are definitely going to get interesting,” Feazel told ESPN.
James Madison, at 400-1, had the shortest odds of any non-power-five conference team as of Monday on ESPN BET.
Coach Deion Sanders’ Colorado Buffaloes were 250-1.
Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe is the 8-1 early betting favorite to win next season’s Heisman Trophy at Caesars Sportsbook, with Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers and Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel each at 10-1 . 12-1 Georgia quarterback Carson Beck.