COLLEGE FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP WINNER ODDS

BY ADAM GREENE

Here’s a look at the four teams atop the odds to hoist the final four-team College Football Championship trophy.

GEORGIA BULLDOGS (+240)

Considering they’ve won the CFB National Title two years in a row, it’s hard to bet against the Bulldogs entering 2023. After getting raided once again by the NFL Draft, it lookslike they’ve reloaded. While Stetson Bennett was a steady hand and already looks like, at worst, a solid NFL back up quarterback, redshirt junior Carson Beck is more physically talented. He just won’t have the mastery of the offense that Bennett had this season. What might impact the team more is what they lost on defense. Five former starters, including Jalen Carter, the best player on the team, will all suit up in the NFL this season. They’ve reloaded, talent-wise. There’s no doubt about it, but experience and knowing how to win in the NCAA’s toughest conference is something these players have yet to show they can do.

ALABAMA CRIMSON TIDE (+650)

While the Bulldogs might be fielding a more talented, though less experienced quarterback this season, their SEC West counterparts can’t say the same thing. The drop off from Bryce Young, the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft and the 2021 Heisman Trophy winner to Jalen Milroe, the presumed starter, is severe. So severe that there’s a food chance Nick Saban rolls out multiple quarterbacks this season before he lands on one, so don’t be shocked to see Tyler Buchner and Ty Simpson take plenty of real life snaps too. This will be an old school Crimson Tide team, leaning on the running game and defense. And while Alabama hasn’t won a national championship that way in a good long while, they piled up plenty with average QB play in the past under Saban.

OHIO STATE BUCKEYES (+750)

The Buckeyes have experienced quite the run of quarterbacks, going from first round NFL draft pick Justin Fields to first round NFL draft pick CJ Stroud. Is junior Kyle McCord, a former 5-star recruit, the next guy up? Possibly. If he’s not, it’ll be all his fault because Ohio State’s wide receiver room remains the best in the country and it’s been that way for four years running. Junior Marvin Harrison, Jr. would have been a Top 5 pick last year if he could have gone out in the draft. Emeka Egbuka probably would have been selected in the first round as well. Julian Fleming saw his first real action last season thanks to Jaxon Smith-Njiba’s injury and all he did was catch 34 passes for 533 yards and six touchdowns, averaging 15.7 yards per reception. If I’m picking a team to face Georgia in the CFB Championship game today, it’s Ohio State.

MICHIGAN WOLVERINES (+900)

If the Buckeyes don’t make it to the title game, Michigan is probably why. After losing eight in a row to Ohio State from 2012-2019, the Wolverines have reeled off two consecutive victories over their arch nemesis and neither game was close. Michigan saw mostly its defense hit by the NFL draft, with just a couple of offensive lineman, tight end Luke Schoonmaker and Ronnie Bell, a wide receiver that missed all of last year with an injury, taken. That means Michigan boasts plenty of returning starters on the offensive side of the ball, including quarterback JJ McCarthy, who completed 64.5 percent of his passes for 2,719 yards, 22 touchdowns and five interceptions to go with 306 rushing yards and five rushing TDs a season ago.

Follow Adam Greene on Twitter @TheFirstMan.

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