B/R CFB 2024 Betting Locks with Adam Kramer: Early National Championship Picks

Although we're still less than two weeks removed from the college football season's conclusion, all eyes are on the future.

Alabama has found its new coach to lead it in the post-Nick Saban era, and Washington and Arizona have filled its vacancies that were created as a result of his decision to retire and the falling dominoes that ensued.

The transfer portal, while still active, has done much of its heavy lifting. Well, maybe.

Things are, at least at the moment, a bit calmer than they've been; if such a thing exists in this new era of college football.

That will change at some point. The sport doesn't slow down for long. But despite the unknown, it won't stop us from taking some early stands when it comes to next year's national champion.

Locks of the Week was all over the championship winner this past season. Back in August, we picked three teams—with odds attached—to win the national championship. Two of those teams were Michigan and Washington.

As a disclaimer, these picks can (and likely will) change before next season. We have a long way to go. The portal will still portal.

That doesn't mean we can't dive into the odds we have been given.

We've targeted a favorite, a team slightly down the odds board and a long shot to get into the spirit.

For the latest spreads on these games, go to DraftKings.

Let's start with the additions, because they are robust.

In search of playmakers, because you can never have too many, Steve Sarkisian added former Alabama wideout Isaiah Bond and ex-Oregon State standout Silas Bolden. Oh, and the Longhorns added former Houston product Matthew Golden.

With Quinn Ewers back at quarterback, this offense should thrive. And with a really good offensive line likely to remain intact, this has the early look and feel of one of the best units in football.

Sure, the defensive line is losing some pieces. The secondary needs some work. The roster isn't Georgia-esque just yet. But there is an abundance of young talent poised to improve on both sides of the ball, and the mixture of youth and experience makes this a fascinating team to watch.

Although Texas will make its SEC debut next season, the schedule isn't completely daunting. An out-of-conference game at Michigan early on is a standout moment, although with a completely rebuilt roster—and potentially a new head coach—that feels like the time to play the Wolverines.

The Longhorns also play Georgia at home and Oklahoma, and neither game will be easy. But with a 12-team playoff set to take shape, it would be surprising to see Texas outside of the mix given what we can see right now.

There's a long way to go before the season begins, but there's a lot to like. A ton of returning experience coupled with some exciting new additions makes this one of the teams to beat.

The hype that will follow this team into next season is likely to be robust.

In most instances, I steer clear of hype. It normally draws a crowd, and I don't much care for those when it comes to sports betting.

When it comes to this team, though, it's hard to ignore what's taking shape. For all the noise Lane Kiffin generates through tweets and press conferences, he has become a brilliant roster builder.

Doing so in 2023 requires both resources and a proper sales pitch, and he seems to have both down. As such, Ole Miss has really improved through the transfer portal. Defensive linemen Walter Nolen and Princely Umanmielen are enormous additions to this roster.

Kiffin also added playmakers on offense and improved the offensive line. Again, he's become quite good at this.

Those players join a roster that still has a lot of promise. While the loss of running back Quinshon Judkins is a big one, having QB Jaxson Dart back is a boost. Both sides of the ball have a chance to be better, which says a lot for a team that won 11 games last year.

The schedule is also fairly reasonable. The Rebels play Oklahoma and Georgia next fall, although both games are at home. Ole Miss also plays at LSU and Florida, which won't be easy.

Still, there is a ton to like. The hype will be huge, but it's not hard to see why. In a new playoff era, Ole Miss has the look and feel of a team capable of making a run.

Oh, the dust is still settling on this one. Let's not kid ourselves.

The loss of Jedd Fisch to Washington is sizable on a few fronts. First and foremost, he did an excellent job. Second, and perhaps more concerning in the short term, the transfer portal is now open for the Arizona roster.

The good news? Many key players appear to be staying.

It sounds like quarterback Noah Fifita and wideout Tetairoa McMillan will return, and they could end up being the most explosive tandem in college football. Barring a massive shift, the offensive line should also largely return.

If that changes, so will this pick. Let's get that out of the way. But in the moment, all seems well.

In terms of the new coach, I am a huge fan of Brent Brennan. Time will tell how he adjusts to his new job, although he did a lot of good at San Jose State. His influence on the offense could help propel his key players to another level.

Another key for Arizona, of course, is a new conference. Now members of the Big 12, the Wildcats will play Kansas State, TCU, West Virginia, Utah and others. While there are some tricky road trips, this looks like a pretty favorable path on paper.

Time will tell how much Arizona's roster is disrupted, although early feedback seems strong that this team should be extremely competitive once again. And given what we saw through the back half of last year, it would not be shocking to see this team compete for a spot in the College Football Playoff.