The Top Contenders for the College Football National Championship

As the weather gets a little colder, the college football season is starting to heat up nicely. A handful of teams are starting to find their rhythm, whereas a couple of others have recovered from stuttering starts. There is still plenty of action to look forward to over the coming months, but those with real claims on the national championship are starting to show their hands.

While last season’s surprise triumph by the Indiana Hoosiers means you can’t rule anyone out, we think we can boil it down to seven teams with a real chance. With apologies to Ole Miss, LSU, Oklahoma and Texas Tech, who just missed the cut, we think it will be one of this super seven.

Ohio State

The Buckeyes started the season as the overall favorite for the championship, and they remain there today, with odds of +400 at the time of writing, sourced from DraftKings’ college football betting. They haven’t been perfect, however, and the opening weekend loss to the Texas Longhorns showed that the Buckeyes aren’t invulnerable.

Notre Dame

The Irish have been having a great season, delighting fans with an explosive offense that has won every game by a healthy margin. Tougher tests await later down the line, but things are looking good for Notre Dame. Sportsbooks have generally placed the Irish as second favorites behind Ohio State.

Georgia

Another season where the Bulldogs are viewed as being in the mix, but they can certainly back it up after big victories over Oklahoma and Alabama in recent weeks. It seems likely that they will be in the playoffs again, and it would be no surprise to see them claim a championship.

Miami

Darian Mensah is the name on everyone’s lips, as the quarterback has broken out to become one of the stars of the season, anchoring a Miami offense that is up there with the best in the country. They have moved up the rankings with each victory, and it’s now time to start treating them as contenders.

Alabama

The Tide took a bit of a knock when losing to the Bulldogs, but it was far from a crushing defeat. It’s really a case of how they use it going forward: Does it hit their confidence, or can they use it to galvanize team performances?

Texas

The Longhorns lost the Red River Rivalry game to the Sooners, which has put a bit of a damper on fans’ moods. Yet, looking at the season as a whole, there is a lot to be excited about. Like Alabama, the big question is whether Texas can use that loss for fuel to get back on track, or whether the uneven performance points to bigger problems ahead.

Indiana

The Hoosiers defied the odds last season to claim a national championship. Few would rule out two in a row, even if they haven’t had all guns blazing in quite the manner as last season. Still, this feels like an elite football program now, and that means they will be in contention for honors in the years to come.