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CFB

College Football: Who’s Best Bet To Win 2022-23 National Championship?

  • Justin Melo
  • May 19, 2022
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The 2021 college football season featured an extremely exciting 2022 College Football Playoff National Championship that saw the Georgia Bulldogs end a historic 42-year championship drought by defeating the Alabama Crimson Tide 33-18. The Bulldogs reigned victorious largely due to a star-studded defense that had a staggering eight players selected in the 2022 NFL Draft. The Bulldogs have now reloaded ahead of the impending campaign. Michigan and Cincinnati advanced to the four-team format for the first time since the change, giving faith to all contending programs that anything is possible.

Nick Saban and his prestigious Alabama program are expected to return with a vengeance following last season’s rare failure and defeat at the hands of Kirby Smart. The Crimson Tide will field a roster that’s littered with 5-star prospects and NFL hopefuls. A continued fierce rivalry between Alabama and Georgia could play out for a second consecutive season in 2022. 

With that said, the college football futures prop betting landscape for the National Championship winner is officially starting to take shape. BetOnline doesn’t waste any time, and they’ve already updated the exciting odds. The top 10 shakes out as follows:

  • Alabama (+190)
  • Ohio State (+400)
  • Georgia (+475)
  • USC (+1200)
  • Clemson (+2000)
  • Texas A&M (+2200)
  • Wisconsin (+3300)
  • Michigan (+4000)
  • Notre Dame (+4000)
  • Oklahoma (+4000)

The current landscape certainly qualifies as particularly intriguing. The BetOnline oddsmakers certainly expect Alabama and Georgia to dominate the field for the second consecutive season, and we’re inclined to agree with that expectation. A strong recruiting class paired with the newly-minted presence of Lincoln Riley at USC has helped the Trojans climb up the ranks. We’ve compiled some thoughts below.

THE FAVORITE AND MY PICK: ALABAMA

It’s extremely difficult to bet against Saban and the Crimson Tide at this point. Since winning their first National Championship of the dominant Saban era in 2009, Alabama has gone consecutive years without titles just twice (2013-2014 and 2018-2019). Reigning Heisman winner Bryce Young returns at quarterback and is fully capable of capturing college football’s most prestigious individual honor for the second straight season. Young was excellent throughout his first campaign as a starter while throwing for an astounding 4,872 yards and 47 touchdowns versus just seven interceptions. Young should find plenty of success while breaking in a new-look group of receivers that features breakout candidate Ja’Corey Brooks and the uber-speedy JoJo Earle.

On the other side of the ball lies Will Anderson Jr., college football’s most dominant defensive player. The reigning Bronko Nagurski Trophy winner (awarded to the nation’s top defender) is an elite, blue-chip prospect that is among the most exciting pass rushers to enter the NFL in recent years. Anderson recorded an astounding 17.5 sacks in 15 appearances throughout the  2021 season, a feat that ranks third on Alabama’s all-time single-season sack list. A rare combination of length, size, speed, and power makes Anderson a potential face-of-the-franchise pass rusher at the next level. Alabama arguably possesses the two most skilled players on both sides of the ball in college football.

A WORTHY NO. 1 CONTENDER: OHIO STATE

The Ohio State Buckeyes are expected to contend for a National Championship in 2022 as head coach Ryan Day enters his fourth season in charge. It’s easy to understand why the oddsmakers are excited about the upcoming iteration of the Buckeyes. Starting quarterback C.J. Stroud returns under center after stringing together an absolutely electric season in 2021 despite it being his freshman campaign. Stroud showcased pinpoint accuracy by completing 71.9% of his passing attempts en route to amassing 4,435 passing yards and a staggering 44 touchdown passes and just six interceptions in 12 appearances. Stroud is currently viewed as the hands-on favorite to become the No. 1 overall selection in the 2023 NFL Draft.

Stroud is expected to find an overwhelming amount of success throwing the football to dominant receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who promptly steps into a starring role following the departures of Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave. New left tackle Paris Johnson Jr. is a potential future top-10 draft selection that will protect Stroud’s blindside going forward. 

Most of the question marks surrounding the 2022 Buckeyes center around the defensive side of the ball. New defensive coordinator Jim Knowles has plenty of talent to make his incoming scheme work.

DON’T FORGET ABOUT: GEORGIA

It qualifies as somewhat odd to witness the defending champion Georgia Bulldogs rank third among the current favorites behind fellow heavyweights Alabama and Ohio State. It may be viewed as borderline disrespectful to some, even though it’s fairly easy to understand why the oddsmakers have soured on Georgia’s chances despite their ability to end a 42-year championship drought. Bulldogs Head Coach Kirby Smart could potentially use the slight as bulletin board material to further motivate his squad.

Several high-level defenders have departed the collegiate ranks to embark on their NFL careers, including No. 1 overall selection Travon Walker, Jordan Davis, Quay Walker, Channing Tindall, Nakobe Dean, Devonte Wyatt, and Lewis Cine, to name a few. The star-studded defensive pipeline remains strong. Jalen Carter is expected to explode in 2022 while playing a more prominent role across a new-look defensive line. Carter is coming off an All-SEC season, and his rare combination of power, size, and first-step explosiveness make him an extremely intriguing defender.

The unspectacular but reliable Stetson Bennett returns to provide a steady hand at quarterback. Winning back-to-back national championships is a difficult goal to engineer. Saban’s Alabama ranks among college football’s greatest dynasties, and they’ve only achieved it once. Georgia remains talented enough to make history.

Written By

Justin Melo