National Championship Odds: Betting favorites to win College Football Playoff after Week 5

The College Football Playoff is set to undergo a major change this season as the number of teams competing for a national championship goes from four to 12. We’re now a month and change through the regular season and an early picture of the contenders is starting to form.

Many of the preseason favorites still remain at the top after FanDuel adjusted its odds following this past week of games. Ohio State, which had the best odds before the season began, is still No. 1 with +370 odds to win the national title after it beat Michigan State in Week 5 to improve to 4-0.

Under the new College Football Playoff format, the five highest-ranked conference champions will receive automatic bids. After that, the next seven highest-ranked teams will complete the field.

Alabama (+380) comes in with the second-best odds after the Buckeyes as the top six teams are all either from the SEC or Big Ten. It will be interesting to see how much that changes throughout conference play, but many expect those leagues to lead the way with the most Playoff bids.

You can view the rest of the odds to win the 2024 College Football Playoff, according to FanDuel, below.

+370 – Ohio State Buckeyes

Ohio State hasn’t had the most strenuous start to the season, facing three fairly weak non-conference foes before finally getting a real test. That test was a road trip to Michigan State, and Ohio State aced it.

The next month will tell us a whole lot more about the Buckeyes. They’ve got a couple of pesky-and-capable opponents in Iowa and Nebraska, sandwiching road dates to playoff contenders Oregon and Penn State. Get through that unscathed and the Buckeyes can likely book their playoff tickets.

+380 – Alabama Crimson Tide

Alabama has been up for every test so far in the Kalen DeBoer era, including Saturday’s massive one against No. 2 Georgia. Alabama passed with flying colors, winning a thrilling game even without perfect execution across the board.

The Crimson Tide are starting to develop some downright lethal offensive weapons, too. The emergence of freshman receiver Ryan Williams has been just what the doctor ordered for the already explosive Jalen Milroe and company.

+500 – Texas Longhorns

It’s not easy to sustain a starting quarterback loss and remain a College Football Playoff contender, but Texas has managed just fine so far with Arch Manning taking the reins. The Longhorns will have a bye week this week, which will give Quinn Ewers even more time to get healthy.

Up next on the other side of the bye is a trying two-game stretch, with Oklahoma and Georgia on the docket. After that it could well be smooth sailing until the regular season finale against Texas A&M.

+550 – Georgia Bulldogs

In the big picture Saturday’s loss to Alabama, on the road no less, will not amount to much if Georgia can continue taking care of business. It won’t cost the team a playoff shot, at least.

Still, Georgia has to prove it can bounce back. It has had two somewhat lackluster games in a row, first a quiet struggle against Kentucky and then the slow start against Alabama. The next two weeks — against Auburn and Mississippi State, both at home — should be a solid get-back opportunity.

+1000 – Oregon Ducks

Oregon started the season with two very close contests, leading some to wonder if the Ducks were really cut out to be a College Football Playoff contender this fall. They’ve since bounced back with two big wins, both against power conference foes, both on the road.

Quarterback Dillon Gabriel appears to be growing more comfortable within the offense, which is a scary proposition for opponents. A home date with Ohio State in two weeks will have the eyes of the nation on it.

+1000 – Tennessee Volunteers

Tennessee might be one of the most balanced teams, rocking a potent offense and a stifling defense. The Volunteers are giving up an average of just 6.8 points per game so far through four contests.

The schedule also remains pretty navigable until a big home date with Alabama on Oct. 19. That’s the big one, along with a game against Georgia. Tennessee should be favored in the rest of its games.

+1800 – Miami Hurricanes

Friday night was scintillating, as Miami narrowly escaped a defeat that would have been downright devastating. The Hurricanes squeaked by the Hokies of Virginia Tech when a heave to the end zone on the final play was ruled incomplete on an overturned replay review.

Miami isn’t perfect by any means, but quarterback Cam Ward gives the ‘Canes a shot to win every game. At 5-0 already and without Clemson on the schedule, Miami just needs to avoid any slip-ups to teams it should handle… which is most of the remaining schedule.

+1800 – Penn State Nittany Lions

Penn State is right back where it has been in many recent years: beating all the opponents it’s supposed to and waiting on the more difficult games. Those will begin in two weeks, and that’s where the College Football Playoff aspirations will be met or let crumble.

The first test for Drew Allar and the revitalized Penn State offense will be on the road at USC in two weeks. Three weeks after that comes a home date with Ohio State. Those are the primary two games to circle on the calendar.

+2000 – Ole Miss Rebels

Despite dropping a game to Kentucky over the weekend, Ole Miss’ national title odds remain decently high. That’s a testament to how dangerous the roster remains, even with a loss already on the resume now.

The schedule will throw a few tough tests at Ole Miss in October, with a road trip to LSU and a home date against Oklahoma. Then the big test against Georgia comes in early November. How the Rebels handle those will determine whether they can bounce back from Saturday’s loss and remain a playoff contender.

+4000 – Clemson Tigers

Following the humbling season-opening loss to Georgia, Clemson is back on the horse and cruising in the College Football Playoff race, quietly leading the ACC through two conference games. The schedule is extremely light the rest of the way, too.

A game against Florida State this week that looked like a massive challenge before the season should now be a relative breeze. And there’s only one ranked opponent on the remaining schedule: No. 22 Louisville on Nov. 2.

Others Receiving Odds

+4000 – USC Trojans
+4000 – Notre Dame Fighting Irish
+6000 – Missouri Tigers
+6000 – LSU Tigers
+10000 – Texas A&M Aggies
+10000 – Utah Utes
+13000 – Iowa State Cyclones
+13000 – Michigan Wolverines
+13000 – Kansas State Wildcats
+17000 – Oklahoma Sooners
+20000 – Indiana Hoosiers
+20000 – Boise State Broncos
+25000 – Louisville Cardinals
+25000 – SMU Mustangs
+29000 – Arizona Wildcats
+29000 – Kentucky Wildcats
+29000 – Oklahoma State Cowboys
+40000 – Nebraska Cornhuskers
+40000 – BYU Cougars
+40000 – UCF Knights

There are a long list of teams receiving fairly long odds to win the College Football Playoff, and it’d be a little surprising to see anyone on this list emerge as a national title contender at this point. But making the playoffs certainly isn’t out of the realm of possibility. And once you’re in the dance, it’s anyone’s game. USC, Missouri and Texas A&M are a few programs to watch based on upcoming schedules and current roster makeup.