Vegas updates Michigan football's 2022 national championship odds
Michigan football is coming off a Big Ten Championship and the program’s first trip to the College Football Playoff in 2021. We are currently at the dawn of a new season and set of challenges, headlined by spring football wrapping up. That has not stopped oddsmakers from weighing in on national title favorites ahead of 2022.
BetMGM’s latest college football futures have been posted to the board with the Michigan Wolverines sitting at +3500 ahead of the year. The typical contenders lead the way with Alabama and defending national champion Georgia at the top of the board. Ohio State sits third behind the two SEC powers.
BetMGM’s frontrunners are as follows:
Alabama +200
Georgia +250
Ohio State +600
Clemson +1200
USC +3500
Texas A&M +3500
Oklahoma +3500
Michigan +3500
Michigan as a relative longshot
Anyone who watches college football knows that Alabama and Georgia leading the way for a title is far from a hot take. The two SEC schools played for a national title last year and routinely bring in NFL-caliber talent. We have not seen these programs struggle to reload, though Georgia does replace a ton off of a historically-great defense.
Michigan at +3500 is a bit surprising, though. The Wolverines have a historically-great pass rush to replace in their own right but have young promising pieces on defense. The offense is mostly intact from last year. Oddsmakers seem to think last year was a Cinderella season that will be difficult to be replicated. There could be some merit to that, but the schedule sets up relatively nicely for them.
Oddsmakers are also banking on Ohio State returning to its dominant form. Michigan delivered Ryan Day and the Buckeyes his first Big Ten loss and that program will be out to make sure it does not happen again. The way OSU recruits, it makes sense why they would be seen as next in line to Alabama and Georgia.
Michigan got to the playoff last year and looked outmanned and outclassed the second it stepped on the field. It could find itself back in the playoff in certain scenarios, but they will have to prove they belong if they get back.
But, +3500?
Michigan is in the same class as Texas A&M, USC and Oklahoma. The Aggies are in a loaded SEC West with Alabama. The Trojans are in a rapid rebuild under new coach Lincoln Riley. Oklahoma has a new coach in Brent Venables and is picking up the pieces of the Riley era. Odds have very little to do with how good a team is and everything to do with where the money is coming in. They are just eye-opening is all.
Michigan will have its chance to build on last season and push further when it takes the field in 2022. The season opens on Sept. 3 at home against Colorado State.
