The Ohio State football is the No. 2-ranked team in the country per both the AP and Coaches Polls.
Because of the fact that the top four conference champions get a bye in the College Football Playoff, the Buckeyes sit 5th in the CFP rankings. The betting odds do not share the same sentiment about the Buckeyes chances to win the CFP National Championship.
BetMGM Sportsbook has the Buckeyes No. 1 in the country in terms of likelihood to take home the championship, sitting at +320, which means a $100 wager would return $320 for a full payout of $420.
Oregon is No. 2 and then Georgia and Texas are tied at No. 3. Alabama is the only other program with odds within +1000 to win it all this season.
Simply put, the riff is created because the polls have to favor the undefeated Ducks while the betting trends can look past that and see how teams are playing throughout November and following the regular season.
Here’s a more analytical approach to the Buckeyes being the favorite to win the National Championship.
Based on this bracket and @CFB_Data‘s elo ratings, Ohio State would once again be the favorite to win the national championship.
The 5 seed seems to have a pretty massive advantage with how the bracket is currently set up. https://t.co/4xJPQvLipW pic.twitter.com/r9JFy2MW9w
— Conor McQuiston (@ConorMcQ5) November 20, 2024
The Buckeyes have the best defense in the country, and their receivers are among the most talented as well.
Will Howard is going to be a key question mark. He will have to step up when the lights get the brightest. That said, the odds think he will do that time and time again as the CFP nears.