Steve Starr
- BetOnline has updated National Championship odds after Week 2 of the college football season
- Clemson (+250) is the title favorite with no games against ranked opponents left on their schedule
- Oklahoma (+900) has an easier road to the College Football Playoff than Ohio State (+900) and LSU (+1000)
Considering that even a sloppy win can cost a school a berth in the 4-team College Football Playoff, losing is obviously a big no-no.
That means the seasons of teams like Washington (1-1), Florida State (1-1), and Tennessee (0-2_ are essentially already over only a couple weeks into September.
Let’s check the odds at BetOnline to see who still has a shot at the National Championship and who may be best positioned to avoid suffering a loss the rest of the way.
2020 CFP NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP ODDS
| Team | Odds |
| Clemson | +250 |
| Alabama | +300 |
| Georgia | +700 |
| Ohio State | +900 |
| Oklahoma | +900 |
| LSU | +1000 |
| Michigan | +2000 |
| Auburn | +2500 |
| Utah | +2500 |
| Florida | +3300 |
| Penn State | +3300 |
| Oregon | +4000 |
| Texas | +4000 |
| Wisconsin | +4000 |
| Notre Dame | +5000 |
| Texas A&M | +5000 |
| USC | +5000 |
| Michigan State | +6600 |
THE FAVORITES
After destroying No. 12 Texas A&M (24-10) last Saturday, the Tigers will now face unranked opponents the rest of the way. The 24-10 final score actually flatters the Aggies, who only covered the 17-point spread thanks to a meaningless late touchdown.
Clemson is proving dominant once again and is as close to a CFP lock as you’ll ever see. Not a single one of the Tigers’ remaining opponents is currently ranked.
Meanwhile, Alabama will have to face that same Aggies squad on October 12, followed by two barn burners with No. 4 LSU and No. 8 Auburn in November.
The tough schedule simultaneously makes the Crimson Tide a better bet to finish as the No. 1 team in the country, and a bigger risk to miss out on the tournament altogether.
Trevor Lawrence hits Tee Higgins for a 62 yard #Clemson TD! pic.twitter.com/sHDqJeQ3UI
— Overtime Heroics (@OTHeroics1) August 30, 2019
Georgia faces their first test in Week 4 against No. 7 Notre Dame, followed by a November gauntlet of Florida, Auburn, and Texas A&M. Jake Fromm and company will have to run the table to avoid becoming the best team to never win a national title, but at least Alabama isn’t on their schedule again.
THE CONTENDERS
While Michigan barely survived against Army in Week 2, Big Ten rival Ohio State has outscored opponents 87-21 in its first two games.
With the Ryan Day era off to a fantastic start, the No. 6-ranked Buckeyes will face a collection of solid-but-lower-ranked teams (Michigan State, Wisconsin and Maryland) before the main course: November matchups with Penn State and the Wolverines.
Ohio State head coach Ryan Day offers up high praise for Joe Burrow:
“He looked like an NFL quarterback out there…”
MORE: https://t.co/GQcYgUch0d pic.twitter.com/Szhd9a3LTl
— TigerDroppings (@TigerDroppings) September 10, 2019
Rising Heisman-favorite Jalen Hurts and the Sooners have been equally impressive through two games. Lincoln Riley is well-positioned make his third-straight College Football Playoff if Oklahoma can get by No. 12 Texas in October.
The Longhorns, of course, suffered the most devastating loss of Week 2, falling 45-38 to Joe Burrow and LSU in a game that most likely ends their national title hopes.
The No. 4-ranked Tigers are now in the catbird seat for a playoff berth, but with a November battle against Alabama looming, as well as upcoming contests against Florida, Auburn and Texas A&M, their road won’t be easy.
