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The 2023-24 college football season just ended, as the Michigan Wolverines took home their first National Championship since 1997. However, college football fans follow the sport all year long, so it's time to look forward to next year's College Football Playoff National Championship odds.
Michigan will look to defend its title without its head coach, quarterback, top running back, and top wide receiver, and with the 12-team playoff format set to debut in 2024, the winner of the "Natty" will be more difficult to predict than ever before.
Who is the favorite to win the 2024-25 College Football Playoff National Championship? Which schools outside the top five could make a run at it? Let's analyze the top 15 schools below. Odds listed are via DraftKings Sportsbook.
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Longshot Title Contenders
t-14 Tennesee Volunteers (+3500)
2023-24 Record: 9-4
Top Departure: Jaylen Wright, RB - NFL Draft
Top Addition: Lance Heard, OT - LSU Transfer
1-14 Texas A&M Aggies (+3500)
2023-24 Record: 7-6
Top Departure: Walter Nolan, DT - Transferred To Ole Miss
Top Addition: Nic Scourton, EDGE - Purdue Transfer
13. Missouri Tigers (+3000)
2023-24 Record: 11-2
Top Departure: Cody Schrader, RB - NFL Draft
Top Addition: Cayden Green, OT - Oklahoma Transfer
12. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (+2800)
2023-24 Record: 10-3
Top Departure: Joe Alt, OT - NFL Draft
Top Addition: Riley Leonard, QB - Duke Transfer
𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞’𝐬 𝐚 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐐𝐁𝟏 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐨𝐰𝐧
Transfer QB Riley Leonard has 𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐌𝐈𝐓𝐓𝐄𝐃 to Notre Dame -
📸: The Irish Tribune pic.twitter.com/KM2d5XpEVH
— The Irish Tribune (@TheIrishTribune) December 12, 2023
11. Penn State Nittany Lions (+2500)
2023-24 Record: 10-3
Top Departure: Olumuyiwa Fashanu, OT - NFL Draft
Top Addition: Julian Fleming, WR - Ohio State Transfer
10. Clemson Tigers (+2200)
2023-24 Record: 9-4
Top Departure: Nate Wiggins, CB - NFL Draft
Top Addition: TJ Moore, WR, High School Prospect
Last season, Clemson failed to win double-digit games for the first time since 2010. The Tigers sat at 4-4 through eight games before ripping off five wins in a row, giving them momentum for next year's campaign. Despite quarterback Cade Klubnik's struggles, Dabo Swinney's squad is given the 10th-best chance to win the National Championship this year.
Swinney has been reluctant to embrace NIL and the transfer portal, as evidenced by his zero incoming transfers and less-than-elite recruiting classes over the last few seasons. The Tigers are +2200 for a reason, and this might be too generous.
9. Florida State Seminoles (+2000)
2023-24 Record: 13-1
Top Departure: Jordan Travis, QB - NFL Draft
Top Addition: DJ Uiagalelei, QB - Oregon State Transfer
The heartbroken Florida State program has something to prove in 2024 after being left out of last year's College Football Playoffs. Losing quarterback Jordan Travis and edge rusher Jared Verse will make things tricky, but the addition of former Clemson and Oregon State quarterback DJ Uiagalelei should help soften the blow.
Clemson and Notre Dame look to be the only truly worrisome matchups for FSU on next year's schedule, and in the new playoff format, no team with their resume from last year will ever get left out of the dance.
Let’s Get to Work 🥷🏿!! #NoleFamily🍢 pic.twitter.com/qL93Yv8eSM
— DJ Uiagalelei (@DJUiagalelei) January 1, 2024
8. Ole Miss Rebels (+1500)
2023-24 Record: 11-2
Top Departure: Quinshon Judkins, RB - Transferred To Ohio State
Top Addition: Walter Nolan, DT - Texas A&M Transfer
At the time of this writing, Ole Miss has 17 transfers joining Lane Kiffin's squad in 2024. This class includes Walter Nolan from Texas A&M, who was the No. 1 high school recruit in the nation in the 2022 recruiting cycle. They are also retaining quarterback Jaxson Dart and added former Notre Dame and LSU running back Logan Diggs to help replace Quinshon Judkins.
The Rebels are going all in to compete this year, and like other SEC teams, Nick Saban won't stand in their way. Let's see if Kiffin can take the program from "very good" to "elite" in 2024.
Jaxson Dart HURDLE 🍿 pic.twitter.com/yJs6wrz702
— College Football Alerts (@CFBAlerts_) October 1, 2023
7. Michigan Wolverines (+1400)
2023-24 Record: 15-0
Top Departure: J.J. McCarthy, QB - NFL Draft
Top Addition: N/A
Like Alabama, Michigan is losing a National Championship coach heading into 2024. However, the Michigan players might not be so quick to transfer since offensive coordinator Sherrone Moore is stepping into Jim Harbaugh's vacant role. Moore was a vocal and emotional leader for the Wolverines during their title run, so the transition should be seamless.
That said, losing quarterback J.J. McCarthy, running back Blake Corum, wide receiver Roman Wilson and standout offensive lineman Zak Zinter means there are a lot of holes to fill on offense. If Moore can keep the roster together and the recruiting momentum rolling, Michigan can contend right away. However, there are a lot of unknowns moving forward for last year's only unbeaten team.
t-5. LSU Tigers (+1200)
2023-24 Record: 10-3
Top Departure: Jayden Daniels, QB - NFL Draft
Top Addition: CJ Daniels, WR - Liberty Transfer
LSU will be without 2023 Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels next season -- who led the Tigers to the No. 1 offense in the FBS (543.5 YPG). However, the team can improve in 2024 if their defense is even close to respectable. LSU gave up 27.8 points per game and allowed seven opponents to score at least 30 points. Defensive coordinator Matt House was replaced by former Missouri DC Blake Baker this offseason, so things should get better.
The Tigers have seemingly had a top-five roster in the nation since the Nick Saban era in Baton Rouge, and the pressure is on Brian Kelly to deliver. The expectations are sky-high at LSU, so if Kelly can't reach the College Football Playoffs, he could be out of a job next offseason.
t-5. Oregon Ducks (+1200)
2023-24 Record: 12-2
Top Departure: Bo Nix, QB - NFL Draft
Top Addition: Dillon Gabriel, QB - Oklahoma Transfer
It will be tough to replace Bo Nix's nearly 9,000 yards of offense and 94 touchdowns over the last two seasons, but head coach Dan Lanning brought in Oklahoma transfer Dillon Gabriel to give it a shot. Gabriel was excellent in his own right last year, completing over 69% of his passes for 3,660 yards, 30 touchdowns, and six interceptions to go along with 373 rushing yards and 12 scores on the ground.
The Ducks will be one of the most talented teams in the country in 2024, and Gabriel, a sixth-year senior, is a good enough quarterback to lead a team to a championship. It'll be interesting to see how Oregon stacks up with Ohio State and Michigan next season, as those will be key games if they want to make the first-ever CFP 12-team playoff.
MARCUS APPROVED! 🎱 #DIMETIME pic.twitter.com/GZUgZVS5rw
— Dillon Gabriel (@_dillongabriel_) December 9, 2023
4. Alabama Crimson Tide (+1100)
2023-24 Record: 12-2
Top Departure: Isaiah Bond, WR - Transferred To Texas
Top Addition: Parker Brailsford, IOL - Washington Transfer
With the greatest college football coach of all time out of the building, it's tough to imagine the Crimson Tide winning a national title in 2024-25. The roster has been and is getting gutted via the transfer portal, but new head coach Kalen Deboer should be able to field a high-end roster right away, and quarterback Jalen Milroe is staying on campus.
Quite honestly, it feels like Vegas is being too generous with Alabama's odds to win a ring, but Deboer has proven to win quickly at each of his three stops as a head coach.
3. Texas Longhorns (+750)
2023-24 Record: 12-2
Top Departure: Xavier Worthy, WR - NFL Draft
Top Addition: Isaiah Bond, WR - Alabama Transfer
Quinn Ewers is headed back to Austin for another collegiate season, which is obviously a fantastic development for the Honghorns' hopes to get back to the College Football Playoff. The Texas native threw for nearly 3500 yards, 22 touchdowns, and six interceptions to lead UT to their Big 12 Championship since 2009.
This year, he'll face an SEC schedule that includes Georgia, and he'll take the Longhorns on the road to face Michigan in Week 2. It won't be an easy road to the CFP, but with the new 12-team format, Texas should be expected to get there. They're losing two stud receivers to the 2024 NFL Draft, so Isaiah Bond's arrival is much needed.
Welcome to Texas, Isaiah Bond! 🤘@isaiahbond_ x #HookEm pic.twitter.com/7emCdfGYcR
— Texas Football (@TexasFootball) January 14, 2024
2. Ohio State Buckeyes (+500)
2023-24 Record: 11-2
Top Departure: Marvin Harrison Jr., WR - NFL Draft
Top Addition: Will Howard, QB - Kansas State Transfer OR Julian Sayin, QB - Alabama Transfer
Over the last three years, Ohio State has had little trouble with all opponents not named Michigan. With Jim Harbaugh gone to the NFL, the Buckeyes have a chance to regain their status as the premier program in the Big Ten. However, newcomers Oregon, Washington, UCLA, and USC will add more challenging games to their schedule.
Losing Marvin Harrison Jr. is a big deal, but adding key players on offense and defense through the transfer portal can help this team improve going into next year. Will Howard or Julian Sayin will start at QB, and Ole Miss running back transfer Quinshon Judkins has the chance to rip through the Big Ten. Talent will not be an issue.
New Ohio State RB Quinshon Judkins over the past two seasons:
🔴 90.8 PFF Grade
🔴 2,726 Rush Yards
🔴 31 Touchdowns
🔴 1,800 Yards AFTER Contact
🔴 154 Missed Tackles Forced pic.twitter.com/iFbEDSC11e— PFF College (@PFF_College) January 9, 2024
1. Georgia Bulldogs (+330)
2023-24 Record: 13-1
Top Departure: Brock Bowers, TE -NFL Draft
Top Addition: Trevor Etienne, RB - Florida Transfer
Georgia won two College Football Playoff National Championships in a row and looked to be headed toward a third straight title in 2023-24. However, Nick Saban's final win in college football was a victory over Kirby Smart's Bulldogs squad, snapping their 29-game win streak. Georgia is 42-2 in its last 44 games, and both losses came to Alabama.
With Saban retiring and quarterback Carson Beck coming back to Athens, Georgia is the obvious favorite to win next year's title game. Naturally, UGA has a bunch of talented players leaving via the transfer portal, but they're not going to have a shortage of firepower.
Wild that 21 of the top 22 players are QBs for the initial Heisman odds
The first non-QB listed at most books is new UGA RB Trevor Etienne. https://t.co/rEQF4iwCvf
— Chris Marler (@VernFunquist) January 22, 2024
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