College football odds: Bet on one of these 15 teams to win it all

By Jason McIntyre
FOX Sports Betting Analyst

Georgia is still celebrating, but with college football starting soon, it’s time to project who will win the title this upcoming season.

There are 130 teams in college football, but if we’re being realistic, only 15 start the season with a legitimate chance to win the National Championship. Here are my rankings of those top 15 teams, along with their odds to cash a winning in January 2023 (odds via FOX Bet).

1. Alabama +200 at FOX Bet (bet $10 to win $30 total)

Every year until Nick Saban retires, Bama has to open as one of your three best bets to win the title. The Crimson Tide have the returning Heisman winner (QB Bryce Young) and arguably the best defensive player (Edge Will Anderson) in the country. Tough to find a scenario where they’re not in the SEC Championship Game and the College Football Playoff (CFP). Recent history suggests college football long shots rarely win the National Championship. This isn’t March Madness. Alabama is the smart play, and other teams provide plenty of value should the Tide slip up.

2. Ohio State +350 at FOX Bet (bet $10 to win $45 total)

The Buckeyes are the last team not from the deep south — Alabama, Clemson, LSU, Georgia — to win the National Championship (2014). They’re the class of the Big Ten and arguably have the best QB in the country in CJ Stroud. From a betting standpoint, OSU will be favored by almost two touchdowns or more in nearly every game this season (-13 at Penn State, -13.5 against Michigan).

3. Utah +4500 at FOX Bet (bet $10 to win $460 total)

Quarterback Cameron Rising led the Utes on a second-half surge last season, crushing USC, UCLA and Oregon twice. As such, there are whispers that this is Kyle Whittingham’s best team at Utah since he took over for Urban Meyer nearly 20 years ago. Offensive weapons are back; the defense lost star Devin Lloyd to the NFL, but the cupboard isn’t bare. Utah opens the season with genuine playoff aspirations.

4. Clemson +1200 at FOX Bet (bet $10 to win $130 total)

A bet on the Tigers comes down to whether or not you believe in QB DJ Uiagalelei, who struggled last year (10 interceptions, 9 TDs). He also comes into this season wondering about job security, so something to keep an eye on. If you read my 2023 NFL Mock Draft, you know which way I’m leaning. The Tigers remain clear favorites in the ACC, but trips to Tallahassee and South Bend will determine if they get to the College Football Playoff, and have a shot at the Natty.

5. USC +3000 at FOX Bet (bet $10 to win $310 total)

This number was +8000 when I gave it out in this space back in January, and it continues to shrink. Lincoln Riley takes the reins, and the transfer portal was great for the Trojans, who have the most high-end talent in the Pac-12. If they can win at Utah in mid-October, the Trojans go from dark horse to legit contender. The biggest question is if new DC Alex Grinch can fix what has been — in recent years — an abysmal defense. The Pac-12 is just 1-2 in the eight-year history of the CFP, with Oregon winning the only game back in 2015.

6. Georgia +350 at FOX Bet (bet $10 to win $45 total)

The historically great defense was gutted by the NFL Draft (five first-round picks), and while the Bulldogs will still be an excellent team and lingering in the Top 20 all season, I don’t see a repeat. The only reason they’re this high is the schedule breaks exceptionally well for them, so a trip to the SEC Championship Game is likely. The most challenging road games are against potential 1st round QBs Will Levis‘ Kentucky and Spencer Rattler‘s South Carolina.   

7. Tennessee +10000 at FOX Bet (bet $10 to win $1010 total)

As much as I wanted the second team from the SEC East on this list to be the Florida Gators and my favorite QB in America, Anthony Richardson … the Vols are a much better National Championship bet. The offensive combination of coach Josh Heupel and QB Hendon Hooker will put up big numbers, especially with so much talent at the skill positions and on the offensive line returning. They’ll be a team to bet on this season, but trips to Baton Rouge and Athens will make a playoff trip extremely difficult. 

8. Texas A&M +3000 at FOX Bet (bet $10 to win $310 total)

Jimbo Fisher beat Alabama last year, landed the top recruiting class in America and then talked trash about Nick Saban. The Aggies only have four road games, but one of them is in Tuscaloosa, and that one could get ugly. As much as I like Texas A&M this season, I did make a long-shot bet on them to win the title last year, and they finished 8-4. Not a wager I’d make again.

9. Michigan +4000 at FOX Bet (bet $10 to win $410 total)

Jim Harbaugh’s best season in Ann Arbor ended with losing eventual champion Georgia in the CFP. Can they run it back? Well, the Wolverines lost three defenders to the first round of the NFL Draft, and both coordinators. That being said, the toughest games outside of Ohio State come against Penn State and Michigan State, but both are at home. The Wolverines also have a bye week in between. While the path is there for Michigan to get back to the playoff, I don’t know if there is enough talent on this roster.

10. NC State +15000 at FOX Bet (bet $10 to win $1510 total)

Only college football diehards will know that Wolfpack QB Devin Leary threw 35 TDs last season, and the NC State defense ranked in the Top 20 in most metrics. The Wolfpack will need historic chaos to get into the CFP, but it’s a fun lottery ticket to have if you have pizza money to spare.

11. Florida State +20000 at FOX Bet (bet $10 to win $2010 total)

It feels like FSU hasn’t been relevant since Jameis Winston was dropping back in the pocket, and that’s mostly true (Dalvin Cook did lead them to a Top 10 finish in 2016). Coach Mike Norvell nearly got the Seminoles to .500 last year with virtually nothing from the offense. QB Jordan Travis seems promising, but this ticket probably gets torn up with a Week 2 loss to LSU. But, if they manage to win that game, beat NC State and Clemson implodes — it’s a lot, yes — FSU can get into the ACC title game and maybe the playoff. 

12. Notre Dame +5000 at FOX Bet (bet $10 to win $510 total)

Tough to make a case for the Irish to win the title with a new QB and new head coach. Their best player is a tight end (Michael Mayer). But the offensive line will be among the best in the country. And the defense, despite losing star safety Kyle Hamilton to the NFL, should be Top 20 in the country when it’s all said and done. Being more than a two-touchdown underdog in the opener against Ohio State isn’t a good sign. Even if they run the table after that — a big if considering games with Stanford and Clemson — the Trojans loom to close the regular season.

13. Miami (FL) +6600 at FOX Bet (bet $10 to win $670 total)

New coach Mario Cristobal is trying to instill a new culture at Miami, which may take some time. I like retiring the silly “turnover chain”; I don’t like the schedule, which features a trip to Texas A&M in September and a difficult 3-game stretch in November vs. FSU, a sandwich spot at lowly Georgia Tech and then at Clemson. If you like betting on quarterbacks (Tyler Van Dyke) and coaches (Cristobal), it’ll be easy to root for Miami, which should have an explosive offense.

14. Stanford +20000 at FOX Bet (bet $10 to win $2010 total)

Few teams return more offensive production than the Cardinal, led by 6-foot-6 QB Tanner McKee, an NFL prospect. A week two home game against USC will determine whether Stanford has a chance of contending in the Pac-12, much less for the national championship.

15. Texas +6000 at FOX Bet (bet $10 to win $610 total)

Year one for Steve Sarkisian will go better than year two (5-7), assuming the defense isn’t the tire fire it was last year. The most impactful coaching hire in the Big 12 was Sark adding former TCU coach Gary Patterson to help that terrible unit. The offense will feature one-time high school legend Quinn Ewers at quarterback unless he gets beat out by the incumbent Hudson Card. A bet on Texas means you get to watch star RB Bijan Robinson, which is always a plus.

Jason McIntyre is a FOX Sports betting analyst, and he also writes about the NFL and NBA Draft. He joined FS1 in 2016 and has appeared on every show on the network. In 2017, McIntyre began producing gambling content on the NFL, college football and NBA for FOX Sports. He had a gambling podcast for FOX, “Coming Up Winners,” in 2018 and 2019. Before arriving at FOX, he created the website The Big Lead, which he sold in 2010.