College Football: Georgia, Alabama Gets Top 2 National Title Odds
The usual suspects, the Alabama Crimson Tide and Georgia Bulldogs, again open the college football season as the odds-on favorites to close with another No. 1 ranking.
What else is new?
Over the past eight seasons, the Crimson Tide have collected three national championships and the Bulldogs have captured the past two.
Odds-makers believe recent history is prologue.
#Georgia officially announced today that Carson Beck will be their starting QB for the 2023 season. Can the #Dawgs three peat even with a freshman QB? Let us know! ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/dhwmzApgfs
— ✨College Football ✨ (@CFBspace) August 20, 2023
Why Bulldogs Will 3-Peat This Season
Coming off a 15-0 record, climaxed by the 65-7 thrashing of TCU in the national championship game, the Bulldogs became the sport’s first back-to-back winners since Alamabama in 2011 and ‘12.
Added by a steady stream of five- and four-star prospects pouring into the program, the Bulldogs were a young team last season, guided by a walk-on quarterback.
With Stetson Bennett battling for a job in the Los Angeles Rams’ training camp, coach Kirby Smart named Carson Beck as the team’s starting QB following a team scrimmage Aug. 19. Beck beat out Brock Vandagriff and Gunner Stockton.
“Carson Beck is going to be our starting quarterback,” coach Kirby Smart said, as reported by the Athens (Ga.) Banner-Herald. “Carson’s been in this offense for a year over (Vandagriff) and two years over Gunner. He’s just ahead.
“The other guys have done a tremendous job in terms of competing, and they’re going to continue to do that, you know?”
Loaded with 13 returning starters off last year’s club and a new flock of prized prospects at running back and offensive and defensive lines, the Bulldogs are the heavy favorites to become college football’s first 3-peat program since Minnesota (1934-36). Army claims it earned a share of titles from 1944-46, but the final effort was not officially recognized by The Associated Press.
#Alabama Football Practice Footage: Friday, Aug. 18
— Austin Hannon (@austinhannon_) August 18, 2023
Why Alabama Will Win 1st Title Since 2020
Putting aside last season’s two-loss performance and quarterback questions entering 2023, the Crimson Tide are expected to find their way back into the College Football Playoffs.
There may be more roster holes this season when compared to the stocked lineups Nick Saban has attracted the past decade, but this is still Alabama and Saban is still coaching. In 17 seasons at Alabama, Saban is 194-27.
Over the past eight seasons, the Crimson Tide has earned 11 bowl/playoff wins.
Alabama may have the second-best odds to win its fourth CFP since 2011, but the roster has preseason concerns.
Who is going to take over for Bryce Young at quarterback? Can Will Anderson be replaced?
The QB battle continues as Tyler Buchner, Jalen Milroe and Ty Simpson vie for the starting role, which may become an in-season decision for Saban. With new offensive coordinator Tommy Rees, the Crimson Tide’s offensive philosophy could feature a stronger running attack, led by senior Jase McClellan.
Anderson departed with 34.5 career sacks. Anderson seemed like he could disrupt an opposing team’s gameplan just by the way he controlled the line of scrimmage.
The Crimson Tide seeks to find the program’s next front-seven disruptor as coordinator Kevin Steele returns to run the defense.
2023 CFP National Championship Top 5 Odds
Here are the top five preseason odds to win the 2023 national championship, courtesy of :
Team, FanDuel, DraftKings, PointsBet, BetMGM
- Georgia, +220, +220, +220, +220
- Alabama, +600, +600, +600, +600
- Ohio State, +700, +700, +700, +700
- Michigan, +850, +850, +800, +700
- LSU, +1,200, +1,200, +1,100, +1,000
