The National Championship lives in Ann Arbor, and the 2023-24 College Football season is over. There’s nothing else to write about the 2023-24 college football season. As sad as that is to write, there is some good news. We already have odds for the 2024-25 College Football National Championship, and we’re here to take a way too early look at the best odds for The Natty.
Way Too Early 2024/25 College Football National Championship Odds
2024-25 is going to be a season of firsts. This is the first year that we’ll have an expanded playoff and the first time a team could conceivably win playoff games to win a championship. This is also the first year that the Power Five conference champions have automatic bids into the playoff. This could get weird, and we’re here for it.
Will Michigan repeat as National Champions in 2025?
Current Michigan Odds: +1000
If you believe Jim Harbaugh and J.J. McCarthy are coming back, you still probably shouldn’t take Michigan to win the National Championship.
First, Michigan’s schedule is a lot tougher in 2024. The Wolverines get Fresno State, Texas, and Arkansas State in their non-conference schedule. That’s a little tougher than East Carolina, UNLV, and Bowling Green.
They have a back-to-back road spot at Washington and at Illinois. Oregon comes to Ann Arbor the week after a match up with in-state rivals Michigan State. The Wolverines also have to go to Columbus for The Big Game.
This is a challenging schedule for a team that will need to reload.
Second, they’re going to lose a lot to the NFL draft. Both top running backs, several key offensive linemen, and two of their top pass catchers are turning pro this Spring. They’re also losing half their starting secondary and an important member of their defensive line.
The Wolverines haven’t lost much to the portal, but they also haven’t been especially active. That could change, but right now, the Wolverines are missing a lot and have a tough road ahead. Stay away, at least, until you know where Harbaugh and McCarthy will play next year.
What about Washington for the National Championship in 2024?
Current Washington Odds: +5000
Michael Penix, Jr. is out of eligibility, but former Mississippi State quarterback Will Rogers is heading to Seattle via the transfer portal. However, they’ll need to find Rogers some targets because Rome Odunze, Ja’Lynn Polk, and Jalen McMillan are turning pro. They’ll also be without running back Dillon Johnson.
Defensive standouts Bralen Trice and Jabbar Muhammad are also heading to the NFL.
Cal star receiver Jeremiah Hunter is heading to Seattle, but they’ll need to find a few guys to pair with him to even come close to the production they had in 2023.
2024 is also the Huskies’ first year in the Big 10. They get road trips to Rutgers, Iowa, Indiana, Penn State, and Oregon in conference. They’ll also have to go to play Washington State in a ‘neutral site’ game at Lumen Field in Seattle.
Given how much production the Huskies need to replace and their first year in a new conference, it’s unlikely they’re going to find their way back to the College Football Playoff in 2024, even with the expanded playoff.
Which team is the odds-on favorite for the 2024 National Championship?
Current Georgia Odds: +425
The Georgia Bulldogs revenge tour starts on August 31st, 2024 in Mercedes-Benz Stadium against Clemson. Quarterback Carson Beck will return for 2024, but the Bulldogs will lose 11 players to the draft this year.
Star tight end Brock Bowers headlines the list of Dawgs turning pro, but they won’t have six first-round picks in the draft this year. Georgia might see two or three players taken on day one of the draft, and they might follow that with a handful of day two and day three picks.
The rest of their non-conference schedule is equally soft. Tennessee Tech, UMass, and Georgia Tech round out their non-conf opponents. That’s four wins in the non-conference schedule.
The Bulldogs have road games against Kentucky, Alabama, Texas, and Ole Miss. Kentucky and Alabama have a bye week in between them, so they won’t technically have a back-to-back road spot in 2024. Shocker.
Georgia has added through the portal, and they never seem to lose anyone they want to keep. They will have to go into Tuscaloosa to face an Alabama team that won the SEC Championship in 2023.
Georgia has a huge chip on its shoulder and should make the 12-team playoff in 2024. 4-to-1 odds in January feel a little chalky, but there are worse tickets to hold.
Which teams can we cross off the list for the National Championship
Ohio State is +750, and right behind Alabama for third on the list. They don’t seem to have a quarterback, and their coach looks like he’s about two minutes away from crying. Don’t bother with the Buckeyes until they find a quarterback.
Texas is at +900, but they get to play an SEC scheduled for the first time ever. The Longhorns have to go on the road to Michigan, Vanderbilt, Arkansas, and Texas A&M. They also have to play Oklahoma in the Cotton Bowl, and Georgia visits Austin. The Longhorns will pick up a couple of losses this year.
Florida State is +1600 but is losing just about everyone. They have a bunch of incoming transfers, but they’re also losing a lot in the portal, too.
Are there any long shots worth playing
Current Kansas Odds: +15000
Kansas will return star running back Devin Neal and quarterback Jalon Daniels for 2024. They’re also playing in a Big 12 that won’t have Oklahoma or Texas in 2024. The Big 12 will be wild in 2024, and the Jayhawks could win it and sneak into the College Football Playoff.
The Jayhawks play Lindenwood, Illinois, and UNLV in their non-conference slate. They haven’t announced the rest of their schedule yet, but they’ll have to go to Arizona State, Baylor, BYU, Kansas State, and West Virginia.
All of those games are winnable, depending on how the slate falls. Watch out for Kansas, and at +15000, they might be worth a sprinkle.
Are there any huge long shots?
Current SMU odds: +20000
SMU just won the AAC, and they’re one of the favorites to win the ACC in 2024.
The Mustangs return quarterback Preston Stone, and coach Rhett Lashley has already shown he can win in Dallas. SMU has been active in the transfer portal and has a ton of returning production.
SMU will travel to Duke, Louisville, Stanford, and Virginia. Florida State has to go to Dallas, and they have TCU as a non-conference opponent. They should compete for the ACC Championship in their first year in conference, and could find themselves sneaking into a playoff spot.
The goal for 2024 is to get seeded and see where the chips fall. SMU would be guaranteed a playoff spot if they win the ACC. The Mustangs are entering an ACC that lacks a dominant team and just won a conference championship. You may want to have a 200-1 ticket in your pocket when the brackets get announced.
The 2023-24 season may be over, but college football never stops at SGPN! Check out The College Football Experience to stay on top of all the latest off-season news. The College Basketball Experience is set to roll through March Madness, and Noah Bieniek will bring the best in college baseball picks with The College Baseball Experience. Listen to our shows, take our advice, and let it ride!
