The 2015 college football season can't come fast enough.
We're now two months way until the first game of the '15 season kicks off. As of now, Ohio State remains the favorite to repeat as College Football Playoff champions with +370 odds. The Buckeyes have been viewed as the favorite for this coming season ever since winning it all in 2015.
That said, here's a look at the teams with the best odds to win the 2016 NCAA National Championship, courtesy of 5Dimes.
Ohio State |
+370 |
Alabama |
+850 |
TCU |
+950 |
Auburn |
+1150 |
Florida State |
+1300 |
USC |
+1500 |
Oregon |
+2100 |
Baylor |
+2400 |
LSU |
+2750 |
Michigan State |
+2800 |
Georgia |
+2900 |
Clemson |
+3200 |
Notre Dame |
+3200 |
UCLA |
+3200 |
Oklahoma |
+4000 |
Mississippi |
+4500 |
Arkansas |
+4700 |
Stanford |
+6100 |
Texas A&M |
+6500 |
Texas |
+6700 |
Tennessee |
+6800 |
Arizona State |
+7200 |
Wisconsin |
+7500 |
Florida |
+8000 |
Mississippi State |
+8200 |
Michigan |
+8800 |
Georgia Tech |
+9000 |
Oklahoma State |
+9250 |
Arizona |
+12500 |
Looking at the top four, Ohio State, Alabama, TCU and Auburn have the best odds to win this year's CFP championship. Florida State barely remains in the top five, and it's a bit surprising to see USC ahead of Oregon.
In terms of value, Arkansas at +4700 may be the best bet. The Hogs return most of their starters from a team that went 7-6, but lost four games by a combined 22 points last year, including a one-point loss to Alabama. UCLA is another sneaky team if they can find a QB.
Now, here's a look at the odds for this year's SEC division winners:
EAST
Georgia |
+170 |
Tennessee |
+260 |
Missouri |
+490 |
Florida |
+600 |
South Carolina |
+950 |
Kentucky |
+1700 |
Vanderbilt |
+4000 |
WEST
Alabama |
+245 |
Auburn |
+345 |
LSU |
+455 |
Arkansas |
+500 |
Mississippi |
+545 |
Texas A&M |
+1400 |
Mississippi State |
+1500 |
Personally, I'd be all over Mississippi State at +1500. After all, they lost just two SEC games last year and return most of their skill players, including Dak Prescott, who has the sixth-best odds to win the Heisman at +1425.
In the East, it's really hard for me to see anyone outside of Georgia, Tennessee or Missouri winning the division. Florida, South Carolina and Kentucky have some nice talent, but not nearly enough depth to win 6+ games in conference play.
Finally, here's a look at the odds to win the SEC outright:
Alabama |
+350 |
Georgia |
+500 |
Auburn |
+500 |
LSU |
+600 |
Arkansas |
+750 |
Mississippi |
+850 |
Tennessee |
+1000 |
Missouri |
+1700 |
Texas A&M |
+2100 |
Mississippi State |
+2500 |
Florida |
+2800 |
South Carolina |
+4000 |
Kentucky |
+8500 |
Vanderbilt |
+30000 |
LSU at +600 is too high for me. They still don't appear to have solved their QB issues in addition to losing a wealth of talent to the NFL draft over the past three years. That's going to catch up to the Tigers as it did last year.
Texas AM with the fifth-lowest odds seems too low. They showed flashes of being a great team last year and now have their QB established while returning 16 starters from a year ago.