Georgia has seemingly unseated Alabama as the premier college football powerhouse. The Bulldogs, winners of the last two national titles, are the betting favorites to win their third in a row, something no team has accomplished in over 80 years.
Minnesota was the last team to do so, from 1934-36. Yale, from 1886-88, is the only other program that’s successfully three-peated. So UGA is in rare territory heading into 2023. Despite the turnover in Athens, coach Kirby Smart returns a team capable of running it back, again. Still, there are worthy challengers in the SEC and beyond that could unseat the two-time defending champions.
The Crimson Tide, naturally, has the next-best title odds with Ohio State and Michigan next in line. USC, LSU Florida State and Clemson make up the next tier of championship contenders. With college football kickoff officially one month away, let’s take a look at the betting market for the upcoming season.
2023-24 National Championship Odds
Georgia +225
Alabama +600
Ohio State +600
Michigan +1000
USC +1400
LSU +1600
Florida State +1800
Clemson +1800
Texas +2500
Notre Dame +2500
Penn State +2500
Georgia was last seen thrashing TCU in the national championship, 65-7, its 17th consecutive win. It was a dominant performance for the Bulldogs that capped off a two-year run in which they went 29–1 and won a pair of titles. However, offensive coordinator Todd Monken returned to the NFL ranks, defensive tackle Jalen Carter, edge rusher Nolan Smith and offensive tackle Broderick Jones were all drafted in the first round and quarterback Stetson Bennett IV left for the league as well.
UGA famously lost five first-rounders from its defense alone in the 2022 draft and still repeated. This program is used to that degree of talent drain and counters it with top-flight recruiting classes annually, which is the case again in 2023. Tight end Brock Bowers and receiver Ladd McConkey are both back to field passes from Carson Beck, Brock Vandagriff or Gunner Stockton and the defense again projects to be among the top units in the country.
Alabama had a down year in 2022 by Nick Saban’s standards: The Crimson Tide went 11–2 and missed the SEC Championship Game for the first time since 2019. Offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien left for the pros and quarterback Bryce Young and edge rusher Will Anderson Jr. went first and third, respectively, in the draft.
There’s a battle for the top job in Tuscaloosa between Jalen Milroe, Ty Simpson and Tyler Buchner to replace Young, a Heisman-winning quarterback. The winner will be surrounded by blue-chippers, as is always the case at Alabama, but even a division title is no guarantee after LSU won the SEC West in Brian Kelly’s first year in the bayou.
Ohio State came closer to defeating Georgia in the CFP semifinals than any other team did last season. Though the Buckeyes lost to Michigan for the second year in a row, they still earned a spot in the playoff where they fell to the Bulldogs, 42-41, to finish 11-2.
Quarterback C.J. Stroud and receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba were both first-round selections. The battle to replace Stroud under center seems to be down to Kyle McCord and Devin Brown and the winner will have the benefit of throwing to a bonafide WR1 in Marvin Harrison Jr. Road games against the Fighting Irish and Wolverines are both tough matchups for Ryan Day’s squad, which has not made the Big Ten Championship since 2020.
After another offseason of NFL flirtation, Jim Harbaugh is back for another year at the helm in Ann Arbor. The Wolverines, back-to-back Big Ten champs, have fallen short in the playoff in two consecutive seasons, most recently in a 51-45 shootout against the Horned Frogs. Continuity is on their side with quarterback J.J. McCarthy and running back Blake Corum both back along with most of the key contributors from a top-five defense on a team that went 13–1.
USC’s loss in the Pac-12 Championship kept the program from making its first-ever CFP appearance. But the Trojans will enter the year as contenders after an 11–3 campaign, with the reigning Heisman winner, preseason favorite and presumptive No. 1 pick Caleb Williams at quarterback. The departure of receiver Jordan Addison to the NFL aside, the wide receiver room is in great shape and it got a boost with the addition of Arizona transfer Dorian Singer. Still, defense remains a concern in Year 2 under coach Lincoln Riley and Oregon, Washington and Utah are all potential threats in the conference.
Kelly got to work quickly in Baton Rouge by beating Alabama and winning the SEC West in his first season down south. Quarterback Jayden Daniels and his favorite target Malik Nabers are back for another go-around with the Tigers and the Tigers reloaded on defense via the transfer portal.
Florida State burst back onto the scene in 2022 with a 10–3 record, including wins over LSU and Oklahoma. The Seminoles have a dynamic Heisman Trophy candidate under center in Jordan Travis and a stud lineman anchoring the defense in Jared Verse. FSU could potentially end its ACC title drought this season, though Clemson might have something to say about that.
The Tigers won their seventh conference title in eight years after a mid-game switch from D.J. Uiagalelei to Cade Klubnik in the ACC Championship. Uiagalelei transferred in the offseason after two seasons as the starter, so this is Klubnik’s team now. Dabo Swinney’s defenses are always a force to be reckoned with, though Clemson did lose two first-round talents along the line: Bryan Breese and Myles Murphy.
Hope springs eternal for college football teams before the leaves start to change. And despite the crop of contenders from around the country, the team to beat plays between the hedges in Athens and the Bulldogs have their sights set on another addition to their trophy case.
