National Championship Odds: What team is favored to win after a thrilling Week 7?

The 2024 college football season has been highly entertaining halfway through the year. Contenders are starting to appear in the first season of the 12-team college football playoff. In years past, one win could end a team’s chance at a postseason opportunity. That is no longer the case with the 12-team college football playoffs.

In Week 7, a team like the Ohio State Buckeyes will benefit from playoff expansion. Ryan Day’s squad lost a tough 32-31 matchup vs. Oregon on the road. The Ducks are now 6-0 on the season and are #2 in the country. Ohio State is 5-1 and dropped to #4 in the country. While they took a tough loss to Oregon, the team could still finish as a top-four team this season.

Who is favored to win the National Championship in 2024?

After Week 7, the Texas Longhorns have the lowest odds at (+370) to win the National Championship this season. Head coach Steve Sarkisian has built a tough program and the team is 6-0. Even when starting QB Quinn Ewers went down with an oblique injury, the Longhorns never missed a beat.

Backup QB Arch Manning came in and was able to keep the winning streak alive. The Longhorns are at home in Week 8 for a top-five matchup with #5 Georgia heading to Austin. Even after a loss to Oregon in Week 7, the Ohio State Buckeyes have the second-lowest odds at (+450) to win the National Championship. In three weeks, the Buckeyes will be on the road to face the Penn State Nittany Lions.

The third-lowest odds to win the National Championship in 2024 are the Georgia Bulldogs at (+500). They took a tough loss on the road earlier this season at Alabama. A win vs. Texas this weekend would put the Bulldogs right back into the picture as a true national championship contender. After their win vs. Ohio State, the Oregon Ducks are (+550) to win at all. Dillon Gabriel and the Ducks proved they can hang with a top program in the Big 10 like Ohio State.

What teams are on the edge of being a true contender?

Two weeks ago, Alabama had a huge win vs. Georgia. Since then, they lost on the road 40-35 to Vanderbilt and won 27-25 at home vs. South Carolina. The Crimson Tide are 5-1 and are the #7 team in the country. They will be on the road in Week 8 to face the #11 Tennessee Volunteers. After a loss in Week 6 and a narrow win in Week 7, Alabama is (+900) to win the National Championship.

The next lowest odds to win the National Championship in 2024 is Penn State at (+1400). After a huge 33-30 win vs. USC on the road in Week 7, the Nittany Lions are a perfect 6-0 this season. They are now the #4 team in the country and have a bye in Week 8. After that, they are on the road to face Wisconsin and then host the Ohio State Buckeyes in Week 10. That could be a top-four matchup depending on how the next few weeks shake out