Early odds to win the 2016-17 college football national championship are out. Do you want to know now how one major oddsmaker sees it playing out or would you rather be surprised.
(I know you would keep reading.)
Bovada released its first set of futures odds for 49 schools, most from "Power 5" conferences. I've listed all 49 below, but here are the significant ones:
• Alabama (surprise!) is an early favorite at 7-1 to win what would be its fifth national title in eight years. This no doubt will bother coach Nick Saban, who's probably already fretting about keeping his team focused after Monday's championship win over Clemson.
• Clemson has the second-lowest odds by a wide margin at 15-2. (These odds are pretty close to Alabama's when you consider the Crimson Tide's odds equate to 14-2. I was good in math.)
• The next closest odds belong to Baylor, Michigan and Ohio State at 12-1.
• LSU is the second-highest SEC team listed at 14-1. Florida State is the second-highest ACC team at 16-1.
• Georgia's opening title odds in the first season under Kirby Smart: 33-1.
• Georgia Tech's odds: Way down at the end of the pack at 100-1.
• Miami's odds in the first season under former Georgia coach Mark Richt: 66-1. So according to this, Smart's title chances are twice as good as Richt's.
• The only non-Power 5 schools listed are independent Notre Dame (14-1) and Houston (33-1) of the American Athletic Conference.
This is obviously ridiculously early to get a feel for next season but that hasn't stopped anybody from putting out early rankings before -- or wagering. Overall, they seem about right to me.
Here's the complete list of Bovada's odds:
- Alabama* 7/1
- Clemson** 15/2
- Baylor 12/1
- Michigan 12/1
- Ohio State 12/1
- LSU* 14/1
- Notre Dame 14/1
- Oklahoma 14/1
- Stanford 14/1
- Florida State** 16/1
- Mississippi* 22/1
- Oregon 22/1
- Tennessee* 22/1
- Florida* 33/1
- Georgia* 33/1
- Houston 33/1
- Iowa 33/1
- Michigan State 33/1
- TCU 33/1
- USC 33/1
- UCLA 40/1
- Wisconsin 50/1
- Arkansas* 50/1
- Auburn* 50/1
- Louisville** 50/1
- Nebraska 50/1
- North Carolina** 50/1
- Oklahoma State 50/1
- Texas A&M* 50/1
- Miami** 66/1
- South Carolina* 66/1
- Washington 66/1
- Utah 66/1
- Washington State 66/1
- Texas 75/1
- Virginia Tech** 75/1
- West Virginia 75/1
- Arizona 100/1
- Arizona State 100/1
- BYU 100/1
- Boise State 100/1
- California 100/1
- Georgia Tech** 100/1
- Maryland 100/1
- Mississippi State* 100/1
- Missouri* 100/1
- NC State 100/1
- Northwestern 100/1
- Penn State 100/1
(*SEC team. No odds listed for Vanderbilt or Kentucky)
(**ACC team. No odds listed for Syracuse, Wake Forest, Boston College, Pittsburgh, Duke, Virginia)
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