College Football Playoff odds: Georgia, Ohio State lead post-spring 2024 national championship update

Georgia's captured two of college football's last three national championships and had it not been for Alabama's "upset" win over the previously-unbeaten Bulldogs in last year's SEC title game, Kirby Smart's club would've had a crack at a three-peat. It didn't happen, so that's more than enough motivation for this loaded with roster, headlined by the return of quarterback Carson Beck and several stars on defense. The Bulldogs made a couple notable moves in the transfer portal, including the acquisition of Florida running back Trevor Etienne and Miami wideout Colbie Young, among others. They bolstered their quarterback depth with Arizona State's Jaden Rashada as well coming out of spring.

Ohio State Buckeyes (+450)

How do you make a superteam even better? You pry a couple of the SEC's best players away from Alabama and Ole Miss and insert them directly into the starting lineup. We're talking about the additions of safety Caleb Downs and tailback Quinshon Judkins, possible All-American candidates for the Buckeyes. Ryan Day loaded up and he might be in line for his first national championship at Ohio State given the "title or bust" mentality this program took during the spring. The Buckeyes haven't been shy about expectations after a third-straight loss to Michigan. It's clear their focus is on getting to the College Football Playoff and advancing with an extremely impressive roster of talent.

Texas Longhorns (+750)

For most SEC newcomers, this is a league that chews you up and spits you out given the breadth of top-to-bottom quality. Not the Longhorns. Texas is on the national title shortlist for good reason. Quinn Ewers returns, along with a massive front, a reload of sorts at wide receiver and a front seven on defense that should be a team strength. Texas plays at Michigan early and considering the Wolverines aren't among oddsmakers' top-10 title teams despite winning last season's crown, it feels like a signature win is coming in September for the Longhorns on their road to a playoff berth.

Oregon Ducks (+850)

The Ducks keep getting better. Oregon narrowly missed a playoff appearance last fall after losing for a second time to Washington, but the progress was noticeable. Dan Lanning has developed strength in the trenches and appears to have his quarterback rotation set for the next several seasons with Oklahoma's Dillon Gabriel in 2024 and another transfer, UCLA's Dante Moore, waiting in the wings for the future. Built like Georgia from the line of scrimmage out, a deeper look at Oregon's roster reveals a team worthy of top-5 merit.

Alabama Crimson Tide (+1300)

Oddsmakers know better — they're not labeling the Crimson Tide as a top-four team entering the 2024 season, at least not at this juncture. At +1300, those are the same odds as eight weeks ago prior to spring practice in Tuscaloosa. Alabama has absorbed some of its heavy portal losses with its own grab bag of talent on the transfer market including Iowa's Kadyn Proctor, who started at tackle last fall for the Crimson Tide as a freshman. Alabama's schedule is brutal, but there's not a preseason nationally-ranked team outside of Ole Miss in the SEC that doesn't take on an arduous slate in 2024.

LSU Tigers (+1500)

LSU's title odds have jumped from +2000 to +1500 with this update from FanDuel Sportsbook. No program in the SEC made better hires on the defensive side of the ball this offseason than the Tigers. Brian Kelly has back-to-back 10-win seasons in Baton Rouge, but this program intends to ascend higher under his watch. Joe Sloan takes over as the mastermind offensively following Mike Denbrock's departure to Notre Dame and the schedule gets cooking in the national spotlight early thanks to an opener against USC.

Ole Miss Rebels (+1500)

Speaking of Lane Kiffin's Rebels, this team feels like a high-value take at +1500. Not only did Kiffin sign the nation's top-ranked transfer class, he was able to convince several of his top returning starters to stay put for another season and should benefit from a favorable schedule given his talent advantage over most opponents. It's not hyperbole to say this Ole Miss roster is the best, on paper, in program history. Now, the Rebels have to be able to shoulder elite expectations and go prove it as a perceived contender.

Penn State Nittany Lions (+2000)

Another program whose odds have improved from +2500 to +2000 post-spring, Penn State is in the hunt for a title under James Franklin. There's a small belief in the expansion era that the Nittany Lions will be one of the teams who benefit from the new playoff format since the Big Ten slate has changed considerably. That's not to say the 2024 slate will be easy, but Franklin's group does bring back a ton of firepower from a team coming off a New Year's Six appearance including two elite ballcarriers, a former five-star quarterback and pass rusher Abdul Carter, a future first-rounder.

Michigan Wolverines (+2200)

Facing one of the toughest schedules in the country this fall, first-year Michigan coach Sherrone Moore has hit work cut out for him despite returning an elite roster in Ann Arbor. Michigan was not one of the 10 programs to appear in initial spring playoff title odds, so this is a bit of a surprise considering the roster hasn't changed much outside of losing two starters to the portal out of the secondary. The Wolverines remain undecided on a quarterback and are hoping to ride a talented defense back to another playoff berth.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish (+2200)

Marcus Freeman likes his chances ahead of Year 3 at Notre Dame with an opportunity to make the playoff annually as an at-large given the Fighting Irish's recruiting strengths as an independent. That said, Notre Dame is holding its breath that spring recovery following surgery for Duke transfer quarterback Riley Leonard goes well and he'll be a full go for fall camp. The situation's dire at the position in terms of depth if he's not. Notre Dame opens at Texas A&M against former coach Mike Elko and takes on FSU along with USC in November.