Odds to Win BCS National Championship

The Alabama Crimson Tide are coming off their win over the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the 2012-13 BCS National Championship. They captured their second straight title and their 3rd in four years, clearly creating a dynasty behind the leadership of head coach Nick Saban. With last season in the books, it’s time to look ahead to the 2013-14 campaign.

As you can see by taking a look at the table below Alabama is the favorite to three-peat. It is listed at 5-to-1 odds, while Oregon is a close second at 8-to-1. I’m going to provide my thoughts on a few of the favorites to see if they have what it takes to dethrone the Crimson Tide as national champions.

The Favorites

Alabama (5/1) – The Crimson Tide are favored for good reason. They have one of the top recruiting classes year in and year out, and Saban certainly gets the most out of his players. Plus, junior quarterback AJ McCarron has already announced that he will return for his senior season.

Oregon (8/1) – The Ducks would have played in the national title game if not for a devastating 14-17 home loss to Stanford late in the year. They went on to beat Kansas State 35-17 in the Fiesta Bowl and return plenty of talent to run the table and go undefeated in Pac-12 play.

Ohio State (17/2) – The Buckeyes likely would have played for a national championship if they were eligible considering they went 12-0 during the regular season in Urban Meyer’s first year on the job. Quarterback Braxton Miller returns to lead what will be an improved Ohio State team as a whole, which is saying a lot after an undefeated campaign.

LSU (12/1) – The Tigers were a last-second touchdown away from beating Alabama at home on November 3rd, but they fell 17-21 despite outplaying the Crimson Tide for most of the game. This is a 10-win team year in and year out under Les Miles, and that will likely be the case again for the upcoming 2013-14 season.

Texas A&M (12/1) – The Aggies were one win away from winning the SEC West and playing in the conference championship this past season. Their two losses came to Florida and LSU by a combined 8 points. Texas A&M was the only team to beat Alabama last season, and they did it in Tuscaloosa by a final of 29-24. Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel returns to lead one of the most explosive offenses in the country.

Florida (14/1) – The Gators will once again have one of the most dominant defenses in the country. If they can get any kind of consistency at the quarterback position, they will overtake Georgia for the SEC East title. We all know that the winner of the SEC Championship is likely to go on to play for the national title, and Florida is the favorite to get there from the East.

Florida State (14/1) – The Seminoles were a bit of a disappointment this past season with losses to both NC State and Florida. However, head coach Jimbo Fisher has another outstanding recruiting class and this will once again be arguably the most talented team in the land, especially defensively. FSU plays in the weak ACC, which gives it an excellent chance to run the table this year.

Odds to Win the 2013-14 BCS National Championship

About the Author: Jack Jones has been ranked in the Top-5 on the Overall Leaderboard for almost all of 2012 here at Betfirms. He has climbed as high as No. 2 while competing against roughly 80 of the best handicappers in the world. He finished as the No. 6 Ranked Basketball Handicapper from 2011-12, which combines pro and college hoops. His $1,000/game basketball players cashed in $22,310 last season. Head on over to Jack's premium pick page to see what he has in store for tonight!