In the wake of Florida State University’s #AskJameis Twitter debacle, the only Seminoles team to take a hit was their PR team. The 2014 Champions are the heavy favorite to repeat, but they do have some stiff competition going into this season. Check out what our resident NCAA Football expert has to say about the 2015 College Football Championship after the jump:
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Even with the new playoff system (RIP, BCS), the usual suspects sit atop the college football odds makers’ list, with FSU leading the way. Here are the consensus top 10 teams predicted to have a shot at winning the first ever College Football Playoff National Championship Trophy:
| Team | Odds |
|---|---|
| Florida State | 18/5 |
| Alabama | 6/1 |
| Oregon | 7/1 |
| Auburn | 10/1 |
| Oklahoma | 12/1 |
| Georgia | 13/1 |
| UCLA | 14/1 |
| South Carolina | 23/1 |
| LSU | 25/1 |
| USC | 28/1 |
For the fractionally challenged, 18/5 is the same as 3.6 to 1, which means odds makers couldn’t care less about how badly FSU’s moronic Twitter campaign backfired. Their 2nd year quarterback may have received an overwhelming amount of criticism for his actions off the field, but under center he’s been nothing short of spectacular. While the Seminoles were unable to sign the top wide receiver in this year’s recruiting class, they did manage to recruit the number 2 and 6 overall targets for Winston in Ermon Lane and Travis Rudolph, respectively. Expectations are high for FSU fans, but the new College Football Championship playoff system could throw a wrench in the Seminole’s hopes to repeat and add the first one of these to their trophy case:
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Alabama managed to do it in 2012 and 2013, but winning back-to-back NCAA Football Championships is no simple task. While college football doesn’t have the same issue as basketball with one-and-done players, or losing prospects to leagues overseas, there is still a high turnover year after year. It is rare to see college football dynasties, yet Florida State’s biggest competition may be just that. It seems having the #1 overall rated recruiting class is an annual accolade for the Crimson Tide, and 2014 is no different. At 6 to 1, I think odds makers are undervaluing Alabama’s talent.
As for the 3rd ranked team, Oregon seems to be doing just fine heading into their 2nd season without former coach, Chip Kelly. I expect them to make it to the College Football Playoff, but the two heavyweights currently ranked above them may be too much for them to handle.
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As you go further down the list, the odds makers’ faith in teams seems to dwindle more and more. Auburn may be 10 to 1, but 12 to 1 Oklahoma is actually ranked 2 seeds higher in both the AP and USA Today pre-season polls. After Georgia (13 to 1) and UCLA (14 to 1), the “best of the rest” really don’t seem to have a shot in the eyes of handicappers, and I agree. If you are looking for a return on your investment, you may want to stick to a team ranked in the top 7.
