Ohio State has third-best odds to win the 2023 national championship

The 2022 college football season ended just six months ago for Ohio State. It ended in a disappointing defeat to Georgia on New Year's Eve in the College Football Playoff semifinal when the Buckeyes missed a 50-yard field goal as time expired, falling short of a chance to play in the national championship by one point.

That memory hasn't left the minds of the players and coaches who were involved, and the Scarlet and Gray have been working since the Peach Bowl loss to the Bulldogs to get back to the Playoff and go even further in 2023. With the season now less than two months away, Ohio State's pursuit of a national title is drawing closer.

According to oddsmakers in Las Vegas, the Buckeyes may have a shot at achieving that goal this season. The odds to win the 2023 College Football Playoff national championship were recently updated, and according to Caesars Sportsbook, the Scarlet and Gray have the third-best odds in the country (+750) to bring home the title that has eluded Ohio State since 2014.

The only two teams ahead of the Buckeyes, according to Caesars Sportsbook, are the last two teams to defeat them in the Playoff. Two-time defending national champions Georgia are the favorites to win a third straight title at +220. They are followed by Alabama, who defeated Ohio State in the 2020 national championship game, at +600.

Just behind the Buckeyes are their Big Ten rivals, Michigan, who have the fourth-best national title odds at +800. The Wolverines have ended a streak of losses against the Scarlet and Gray, winning The Game in each of the last two seasons. They have also secured back-to-back Big Ten titles and made consecutive Playoff appearances. LSU rounds out the top five with +1200 odds to be crowned national champions this season. The Tigers haven't made the Playoff since winning the national title in 2019.

The only other Big Ten teams with top-25 odds are Penn State and Wisconsin. The Nittany Lions have the ninth-best odds at a national championship this year at +2200, while Wisconsin has the 18th best odds at +6000. Ohio State will face both teams this season, with Penn State coming to Ohio Stadium on Oct. 21 before the Buckeyes head to Camp Randall to face Wisconsin the following weekend. The Scarlet and Gray will also travel to play Notre Dame, who has the 11th best odds at a national championship this season at +2800, in Week 4.

Undoubtedly, Ohio State possesses one of the most talented rosters in college football heading into the 2023 season. However, the Buckeyes will need to address a few questions positively in order to return to the Playoff and potentially win a national title. The most glaring question is who will replace C.J. Stroud at quarterback after the two-time Heisman Trophy finalist was selected as the No. 2 pick in the NFL Draft. Additionally, the Scarlet and Gray must fill the void left by three departed offensive linemen and demonstrate that the defense can perform at a high level in the most important games of the year.

If these questions are answered in the right way, there is no reason not to anticipate Ohio State's return to contention for the national championship in 2023.