by Nikki Adams
Georgia remains the favorite to win the National Championship at the close of a scintillating round of college football action in Week 7 according to oddsmakers. Georgia first leapfrogged preseason favorites Alabama Crimson Tide in Week 6, while Clemson fell out favor spectacularly. However, there’s still a lot of college football to be played yet before the playoffs get underway and a lot can happen between now and then.
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Oddsmakers went to press with their updated serving of the CFP National Championship odds with a new shorts-odds-on favorite at the close of Week 6. Georgia leapfrogged into top spot, deposing the defending National Champions Alabama Crimson Tide from their throne, who came into the season as the team to beat by all accounts. However, their advantage is slim and could change at any given week –college Football is a week-to-week game, after all.
Georgia began the season with a 25 percent shot to win the coveted national championship title according to ESPN’s FPI. They were tipped behind top bets and popular picks Alabama Crimson Tide and Clemson Tigers, as well as a slew of other early contenders, including Ohio State and Oklahoma Sooners.
The Georgia Bulldogs clinched a sixth straight win after beating Auburn 34-10 in Week 6, but they remained second overall in the betting markets. The changing of the guard moment didn’t come until after Alabama suffered a shocking 41-38 upset loss to Texas A&M in the same week.
Nick Saban’s side’s loss to the unranked Aggies was a seminal moment that prompted this significant market overhaul. Alabama went into Week 6 riding an impressive 100-game winning streak against unranked opponents, not to mention an undefeated run since 2019. They looked untouchable by all accounts – Alabama closed as the whopping 18.5-point favorites in the betting.
On the flipside, the Aggies had won no more than two games before colliding with the mighty Tide, and they went into the game with a backup quarterback to boot. The Aggies had no business winning that game until they did. And so, Crimson Tide shot themselves in the foot and fell out favour rapidly by failing to come through as the runaway favorites on multiple college football odds boards.
The Bulldogs backed their newfound status as the top favorites the following week, decimating Kentucky 30-13 to improve to a stellar 7-0 record. In the meanwhile, the Crimson Tide bounced back with a 49-9 victory over Miss State and improved to 6-1.
Through seven weeks of the college football season, it’s hard to find a team that has played better than the Bulldogs. They’re not only 7-0 straight up, but they’re also 5-2-0 against the spread – a run of form that includes a 31.9 winning margin and a +11.9 differential versus the spread. Georgia’s 31.9 winning margin is one of the biggest margins of victory through seven weeks. However, the gap between Georgia and Alabama is slim at best and staying abreast of the defending champions will require a concentrated effort.
Georgia goes into a Week 8 bye before facing Florida in Week 9. Alabama is 6-1 on the season and 3-1 in conference play and next faces Tennessee in Week 8. Tennessee is 2-4 on the season and 2-2 in SEC play.
The Ohio State Buckeyes (5-1) emerged as the third best bet overall to win the National Championship after Week 6, although there is a good distance off from Georgia and Alabama on the odds board.
Ohio State cemented that position on the back of a stunning 66-17 win over Maryland last Sunday. C.J. Stroud had a monster day, tossing for 406 yards and five touchdowns as he led the Buckeyes in the rout of the Taulia Tagovailoa and the Terrapins.
Justin Fields, now an NFL quarterback for the Chicago Bears, led the Buckeyes to the National Championship game last season after defeating the Clemson Tigers in the semis. They lost to Alabama resoundingly, 52-24. Clearly, Ohio’s program has navigated through its losses to the NFL draft admirably. Stroud is proving to be a revelation in his freshman year, and Ohio State’s odds to win now stand at +650 or thereabouts depending on the choice market operator.
Ohio State was on a bye this week. They return to action in Week 8 with a date against Big Ten rival Indiana on the road. Ohio State is 5-1 on the season, but they’re a perfect 3-0 in conference action. Indiana is 2-4 on the season and 0-3 in conference action.
The Oklahoma Sooners saw their NCAAF odds improve following their seventh-straight win and fourth-straight Big 12 win last Sunday after eviscerating TX Christian 52-31. Only four teams in the NCAAF are undefeated ahead of Week 8 – Georgia, Michigan State. Oklahoma and Texas San Antonio. The Sooners have an advantageous schedule down the stretch with one ranked opponent in their last five games. Their next opponent is Kansas on the road.
