RADIO
Dominick Petrillo's College Football Playoff National Championship outlook, odds, and betting favorites for 2025. He highlights nine championship contenders for CFB.
It is always fun yet predictable who will come into the college football season as the favorites to win the national championship.
There will be plenty of SEC representation, and Ohio State, which has lost more than four games only once this century, is also always near the top.
The same things run true in 2025 as Texas, Ohio State, and Georgia lead the pack. But a few others are climbing the ranks in 2025.
The Favorites
Texas Longhorns +550|
There is no world in which the Longhorns were not going to be near the top of the national championship odds for 2025. The Arch Manning effect is real. If his limited sample size tells us anything, he has a good arm and far more running ability than either of his uncles. He is certainly his father’s son with speed and agility.
ARCH MANNING WITH HIS FIRST COLLEGIATE TD PASS 🔥 pic.twitter.com/nAcXUbyreI
— ESPN (@espn) August 31, 2024
Adding to Manning, the running game will include CJ Baxter, a five-star recruit who was the unfortunate recipient of a torn LCL and MCL during practice in 2024.
Had he been healthy for the season, the Ohio State semifinal could have turned out far differently, with Baxter getting the ball on the goal line rather than Quinn Ewers throwing a pick-six to put the proverbial nail in the coffin for the Texas run.
With sophomore Ryan Wingo looking to break out, the passing game will also be a strength for Texas, which will look to ride an elite offense, defense, and one of the easiest schedules in the country to another run for the championship.
Ohio State Buckeyes +600|
My least favorite of the contenders, The Ohio State, will need to replace double-digit draft selections if it wants to repeat as national champs.
QB Julian Sayin is a talented redshirt freshman who transferred in from Alabama immediately after Nick Saban retired before the 2024 season. This means he has had some reps with the elite wide receivers group of Jeremiah Smith, Carnell Tate, and Brandon Inniss.
Three five-star recruits and the best top three weapons in the country. Add to this transfer TE Max Klare, a talented receiver who is already getting plenty of first-round draft buzz, and the offense will again be stellar.
If the defense with Caleb Downs can stay good without coordinator Jim Knowles, who left for the same position at Penn State, the Buckeyes could make another run. But it is a wait-and-see, as continued growth from the litany of new starters will be needed to make this a reality.
Georgia Bulldogs +650|
Much like Ohio State, the Georgia Bulldogs are always at the top of these odds. They will continue to be there if Kirby Smart can continue to compile top recruiting classes and find those diamonds in the rough.
Defense has never been an issue for the Bulldogs. It has always been a matter of whether the offense can do enough to win games. With new starting QB Gunner Stockton in and former starter Carson Beck now in Miami, the Bulldogs made sure to give Stockton more weapons.
The Georgia passing game was severely lacking in 2024, and with a worse-than-normal running game to boot, it was a down season for it despite the SEC title.
Bringing junior Zachariah Branch over from USC could be a boon if Branch lives up to his potential. A potential was shown in the first game of his college career when he took a kickoff for a TD and had more than 100 receiving yards against San Jose State.
It has been a roller coaster since, and he will need to live up to the hype in Georgia if he wants to improve his draft stock. Along with Branch, the Bulldogs will be getting senior Colbie Young back from Miami to provide more help, along with Dillon Bell as the third receiver.
THERE GOES THAT MAN 🗣️
Zachariah Branch with a MASSIVE gain for @uscfb 🔥 pic.twitter.com/1uXZNlDjWU
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) October 22, 2023
The real strength of the passing game is the TE position, a position where Georgia continually reloads. The group is led by senior Oscar Delp, junior Lawson Luckie, and redshirt freshman Jaden Reddell. This group will be a huge help for the first-year starter at quarterback. They can provide a security blanket, one that could be needed in an SEC with good defensive lines coming after the QB.
If Georgia can figure out its offense, and if the running game of sophomore Nick Frazier and senior transfer Josh McCray stays on point, the Bulldogs can be great. McCray, who led Illinois in rushing in 2024, decided to transfer. He found a school that emphasizes the rush, and he can make a major difference in bringing Georgia back to the promised land for the third time in the past decade.
The Georgia defense is always elite under Smart. He made his bones on defense under Nick Saban, and it will always be his mindset. If the offense can be comparable, Georgia has the talent and the schedule to win the title.
Penn State Nittany Lions +750|
In all fairness, I am a Penn State fan. Saying this, the common sentiment in recent years was that 2024 would be the year of the Nittany Lions. In making it to the Orange Bowl before losing to Notre Dame, it almost was.
We are going to forget about the path it took for them to arrive there. But then something happened that no one saw coming. The team was able to keep Kaytron Allen, Nick Singleton, and most importantly for the offense, QB Drew Allar.
Even more importantly, the Nittany Lions and head coach James Franklin made a concerted effort to bring in wide receiver help to go with their stable of good tight ends. The most productive of these transfers was Trebor Pena from Syracuse, who comes in after gaining 941 yards and nine TDs on 84 catches from Will Howard during Syracuse's 2024 season, in which it won nine regular-season games.
As the slot receiver for the Orange, Pena averaged 11.2 Y/C and was a major player in Syracuse's success. With even more help this season in the run game in the surrounding TE and WR positions, Pena can provide energy to a Penn State offense that desperately needs it.
Although the defense lost Abdul Carter as the No. 3 pick in the NFL Draft, it brings back plenty of talent, including Dani Dennis-Sutton, who could be one of the top defensive ends in the 2026 NFL Draft. Add defensive tackle Zane Durant, and the left side of the defensive line could be staffed by two first-round picks of the 2026 draft. Another name getting a lot of preseason buzz on the line is Zuriah Fisher, a redshirt senior who may not be a top-round player but will get draft looks and could be a Day 3 selection.
The cornerback duo of A.J. Harris and Elliot Washington II can also be good this season after Washington, who left for Alabama, returned after a season away. Coming back to team up with another SEC transfer in Harris, and this could be one of the top CB duos in the Big Ten.
A key factor of this Penn State team is experience. The Nittany Lions were able to get many of their draft-eligible players to return. This is a book written by 2023 Michigan and 2024 Ohio State, the last two Big Ten champions and the past two national champions.
This can bode well for Penn State, but as a fan, I am pessimistic. We have seen this before, and it has not managed to come to fruition. The last time Penn State won a national championship was in January 1986, when I was five. Let’s hope they can pull this one off when I am 45. Hey, Georgia did it after a 40-year drought.
Alabama Crimson Tide +1100|
This is not your parents’ Alabama. Ok, it might be better. But it is not your older siblings’ Alabama. I can confidently say it never will be again. No school will work with the new rules in place. But this is better for the game, as more schools will feel like they have a chance to win the national championship.
As for this season, Ryan Grubb is back after a one-year hiatus to be the offensive coordinator of the Seattle Seahawks. After flaming out, Grubb will return to the same position under Kalen DeBoer. A position he held for more than a decade before last season.
Both coaches have great offensive minds, and the two together meld into one. This will be good as they will be forced to get the most out of a first-year starting QB in Ty Simpson. While Austin Mack, who came to Alabama from Washington with DeBoer, and freshman Keelon Russell are still battling, this is Simpson’s job.
DeBoer was able to take Michael Penix Jr. and turn him into the No. 8 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. If he can do the same with Simpson, the Tide have a great chance to make the playoffs and possibly do even more. Ryan Williams was the second-best receiver in the country as a freshman in 2024. Second only to fellow freshman Jeremiah Smith at Ohio State. And did you hear, he was only 17. Now, he is in his sophomore season.
Although a change in QB can be tough for any player, Jalen Milroe did not live up to the billing in 2024. This will make it less difficult for the transition for the entire offense. Another thing that could allow for immediate success from the offense is the offensive line, which is anchored by Kaydn Proctor, a heavy favorite to be the first offensive lineman off the board in April.
If he continues to get better the way he has during his first two seasons in Tuscaloosa, Proctor and his ability to keep defenders out of the backfield will help Simpson and the running game perform.
The running game in senior Jam Miller and sophomore Richard Young will challenge defensive lines all around the SEC during the season. Not only will they be a good backfield, but the Alabama offensive line always continues to rake in recruits at the position, which makes you think DeBoer can recruit as well as coach. The offensive line being one of the strengths of the team is a good sign for an Alabama team that will need the strength to push it through the finish line in December and January.
While this is the junior year for Simpson, and he has yet to beat out any QB ahead of him, this year just might be different. He is being pushed by two players who are more talented. If he does not perform, he will get replaced. This is the main reason the +1100 on Alabama is a wager I do not want to take.
I will instead watch them for a few weeks and then decide whether to put a wager on them. The Crimson Tide is not a team to bet early. Its price is inflated due to the popularity of the brand, and it will cost you money if you take it here. Do not do yourself a disservice.
Clemson Tigers +1100|
Clemson is stacked. Unlike most stacked teams, the Tigers were not built out of the transfer portal.
We all know the affinity Dabo Swinney has for high school talent. Until last season, he had not taken a transfer at all. He feels the continuity of the team and building the culture is easier with players who have been ingrained since the beginning of college. With the team Swinney has returning for 2025, he might be on to something.
Six. This is the number of potential first-round draft selections on the Tigers for the 2025 season. Scarily, they are not all on the same side of the ball, either. With Peter Woods and T.J. Parker on the defensive line, and both projected as top-10 selections, the line will give every team it plays major problems.
This includes LSU, the other Death Valley Tigers, in Week 1. In the secondary, another potential first-rounder in Avieon Terrell will lead the way, hoping to follow in the footsteps of his older brother, A.J. He will make it difficult for many of the lackluster ACC offenses to throw the ball.
With sophomore stud Sammy Brown at LB, the back seven of this defense will provide the coverage needed to let Parker and Woods dominate the line of scrimmage up front and get opposing quarterbacks on the grass. When they can get the ball out, Terrell will be there to pick up the slack.
While the defense will be good, especially in the ACC, the offense can have the same success against opposing defenses. QB Cade Klubnik finally started coming into his own in the second half of 2024.
After two seasons in which he did not live up to the expected standards, Klubnik finished 2024 with 308 of 486 passing for 3,639 yards, 36 TDs, and six INTs. He finished with 259.9 Y/G. This was a full 41 yards higher than the 218.8 Y/G from 2023.
CADE 👏 KLUBNIK 👏@CadeKlubnikQB ran 50-YDs for the TD to give the No. 20 Tigers the 24-20 lead @ClemsonFB | @ClemsonTigers | #GoTigers
pic.twitter.com/X4Dx8GtDo7— ACC Digital Network (@theACCDN) November 16, 2024
The potential No. 1 QB in the 2026 NFL Draft will once again be throwing to his favorite receiver in Antonio Williams. Williams, who finished 2024 with 75 receptions for 904 yards and 11 TDs, will once again be the leading receiver for Klubnik. But he will not have to do it alone, as sophomores T.J. Moore and Bryant Wesco Jr. provide a much-needed boost to the receiving room at Clemson, something it had during its national championship-level years of 2015 to 2020.
This trio, while not to the level of Smith, Tate, and Inniss at Ohio State, is still an elite group and makes Clemson the favorites in the ACC. Of all the teams in the country, if Clemson does not win its conference, it will be the biggest disappointment of the 2025 season.
This number was at +2000 earlier in the offseason. I loved it there. It is still nice here, but it is getting a little too low. If you want, take it before it goes down further. Otherwise, if you think LSU is going to win in Week 1, wait and take it at what should be the highest number of the season afterward.
Oregon Ducks +1100|
Even though I am a Penn State fan, I have always had an affinity for a few other teams. One of them is the Oregon Ducks. Oregon has been elite in recruiting on both offense and defense.
But many of these recruits have failed to play any significant role. We need to see what they can do before we can trust head coach Dan Lanning to get the Ducks over the hump with them. This could backfire on us. Even after barely outdoing Boise State early in 2024, the Ducks went undefeated during the regular season and beat Penn State 45-37 in a game that was not as close as the score would make you think.
Despite being the best team throughout 2024, they suffered their only loss in the Rose Bowl against the eventual national champion, Ohio State. A game at 41-21 was far more important for the Buckeyes than their 32-31 loss at Oregon earlier in the season.
Oregon has talent, but does it have the experience? If I were going to find out, the odds would need to be better than +1100.
You’re Telling Me There’s a Chance?
LSU Tigers +1700|
After two rough seasons on defense, including 2024 with new defensive coordinator Blake Baker, the LSU Tigers realized they needed to get their defense back if they wanted to become a real contender.
The Tigers hit the transfer portal hard to make this happen. It also did not hurt that the team was able to avoid a flip of talented freshman CB DJ Pickett, a player who will start at the left CB position for Baker. Bringing in the best freshman CB prospect since Derek Stingley Jr. in Pickett might be enough.
BREAKING: 5⭐️ DB DJ Pickett has committed to LSU. 🔥
The Zephryhills (FL) product chose LSU over Miami and Oregon. 🏈
MORE: https://t.co/5E1lT8IC3C pic.twitter.com/1FYTL0mx5h
— 247Sports (@247Sports) July 17, 2024
But the Tigers are finally making the call to move Harold Perkins Jr. back to his natural position as LB, a position that will allow him to rush the passer while also being able to drop back in coverage if needed. With the added talent to the secondary, he may finally get back to the form we saw as a freshman against Arkansas.
QB Garrett Nussmeier was solid in his first season as a starter. He threw for 4,052 yards and 29 TDs. While these numbers are good, they were buoyed by the fact that LSU refused to run the ball when it did not work early in the game. This not only led to the passing yards being elevated for Nussmeier, but it also led to his INT numbers being elevated, having 12 to go along with those 29 TD passes. He needs to reduce the INTs to single digits.
He also has the running game behind Caden Durham and freshman Harlem Berry, the top RB recruit in the 2025 class. With the stud in Durham and the potential stud in Berry, the other back, Kaleb Jackson, brings the veteran presence as a junior who has been with the team for three years. Jackson can help both players fulfill their talent and help the Tigers have a good third season under Brian Kelly.
This is an important year for the Tigers and for Kelly. If they do not show improvement, it could be the beginning of the end for Kelly and his family in the bayou. Every head coach in Baton Rouge since Nick Saban has followed the Saban plan. It has won each of them a national championship.
Kelly would be the first one to not do so. This is not what he wants, and it is not something LSU fans would take lightly. With Alabama and Georgia supposedly down, this could be the best chance for LSU to get past them and into the playoff. From there, anything is possible.
***Bonus** Notre Dame Fighting Irish +1400
Watch out for Notre Dame as well. At +1400, the Fighting Irish were only a game away last season. They are starting to recruit like a school with no restrictions, and their offensive line, despite some spring injuries, is still a top-3 unit in the country.
Jeremiyah Love is the best returning RB in the country, and the group of wide receivers finally started to come on toward the end of 2024. If CJ Carr is authentic, this team will be dangerous.
Long Shot to Consider
Illinois Fighting Illini +19000|
Do not think that putting the Illini here means they have a real shot. But at +19000 value, they might be worth a small play.
After finishing 2024 with 10 wins, Illinois brings back one of the best quarterbacks in the Big Ten and the country in Luke Altmyer. Entering his third season in the program, Altmyer has the full confidence of coach Bret Bielema.
After compiling 2,717 yards, 22 TDs, and six INTs, Altmyer will look to improve even more in the coming 2025 season. As talented as Altmyer is, the shining story in Illinois is that he does not have to be the whole show.
This is Big Ten football. This means the running game and defense will still be king. With Altmyer being a top-3 QB in the conference, there is no reason Illinois is picked with worse championship odds than conference foes USC (+7500), Indiana (+14000), Iowa (+15000), and Nebraska (+17000).
