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When it comes to the national championship race over the last handful of years, it’s been Clemson, Alabama, and literally no one else. However, as this season progresses, it is looking more and more like the Ohio State Buckeyes could be a serious contender for that exclusive group, and line-makers are continuing to take notice.
On Wednesday, SportsBettingDime.com released odds that had Ohio State as the third most likely team to win the national title behind only the Tigers and Tide.
Also, the Buckeyes are one of four teams that have better than even odds to make the playoff. That means that in the minds of the oddsmakers, OSU has a better chance of making the College Football Playoff than not.
Of the 19 schools currently on the board to win the title, six are from the SEC and five are from the Big Ten. Wisconsin — whom OSU will play on Oct. 26 — is the next most likely B1G team in sixth.
National Championship Odds | Oct. 16
| Rank | Team | Odds |
|---|---|---|
| Rank | Team | Odds |
| 1 | Alabama | 3/1 |
| 2 | Clemson | 7/2 |
| 3 | Ohio State | 5/1 |
| 4 | Oklahoma | 8/1 |
| 5 | LSU | 10/1 |
| 6 | Wisconsin | 18/1 |
| 7 | Georgia | 35/1 |
| 8 | Penn State | 75/1 |
| 9 | Oregon | 85/1 |
| 10 | Notre Dame | 90/1 |
| 11 | Auburn | 95/1 |
| 12 | Florida | 100/1 |
| 13 | Utah | 100/1 |
| 14 | Michigan | 125/1 |
| 15 | Missouri | 130/1 |
| 16 | Baylor | 150/1 |
| 17 | Minnesota | 200/1 |
| 18 | SMU | 300/1 |
| 19 | Arizona State | 300/1 |
While dreaming about the ultimate prize is fun, teams have to make the playoff before they can play for the trophy. In this set of odds, Ohio State falls a spot to fourth, as Clemson and Oklahoma — who play in much less arduous conferences — jump over the Buckeyes and ‘Bama.
College Football Playoff Odds | Oct. 16
| Rank | Team | Odds |
|---|---|---|
| Rank | Team | Odds |
| 1 | Clemson | 1/5 |
| 2 | Oklahoma | 1/2 |
| 3 | Alabama | 2/3 |
| 4 | Ohio State | 9/10 |
| 5 | LSU | 3/2 |
| 6 | Wisconsin | 7/2 |
| 7 | Georgia | 7/1 |
| 8 | Penn State | 8/1 |
| 9 | Oregon | 9/1 |
| 10 | Notre Dame | 9/1 |
| 11 | Auburn | 17/1 |
| 12 | Florida | 18/1 |
| 13 | Utah | 18/1 |
| 14 | Michigan | 40/1 |
| 15 | Missouri | 45/1 |
| 16 | Baylor | 50/1 |
| 17 | Minnesota | 75/1 |
While for schools like Ohio State, Clemson, Alabama, and Oklahoma, an undefeated regular season is as close to a guarantee to make the CFP as possible, that’s not the case for every team in the country.
SportsBettingDime.com also has odds for all twelve of the currently undefeated FBS teams to finish their respective regular seasons — including potential conference championship games — without a loss.
Since Ohio State still has the three (or four) most challenging games on their schedule ahead of them, they currently sit in fourth with 7/3 odds, just one spot ahead of the Boise State Broncos.
Undefeated Before Bowl Odds | Oct. 16
| Rank | Team | Odds |
|---|---|---|
| Rank | Team | Odds |
| 1 | Clemson | 1/4 |
| 2 | Alabama | 3/2 |
| 3 | Oklahoma | 3/2 |
| 4 | Ohio State | 7/3 |
| 5 | Boise State | 5/1 |
| 6 | App. State | 8/1 |
| 7 | LSU | 9/1 |
| 8 | Wisconsin | 10/1 |
| 9 | Penn State | 121 |
| 10 | SMU | 19/1 |
| 11 | Baylor | 50/1 |
| 12 | Minnesota | 125/1 |
As Ohio State as found in recent years, winning the B1G title isn’t always enough to earn a playoff berth. However, the Buckeyes are still trending as the odds-on favorite to do both this season. They are slight favorites over the Badgers, with Penn State a considerable distance behind.
Even further back are the Michigan Wolverines, which is fun.
Big Ten Title Odds | Oct. 16
| Rank | Team | Odds |
|---|---|---|
| Rank | Team | Odds |
| 1 | Ohio State | 3/2 |
| 2 | Wisconsin | 9/5 |
| 3 | Penn State | 7/1 |
| 4 | Michigan | 24/1 |
| 5 | Minnesota | 32/1 |
In addition to individual team odds, SportsBettingDime.com also has lines on what the match-ups for the B1G and SEC title games will be. Ohio State is the most likely B1G East opponent for both potential West winners on the board, and a Buckeyes-Badgers December rematch is currently at better than even odds.
The site has Alabama vs. Georgia as the most likely SEC title game at 7/3.
Big Ten Title Match-up Odds | Oct. 16
| Rank | Match-up | Odds |
|---|---|---|
| Rank | Match-up | Odds |
| 1 | Ohio State vs. Wisconsin | 3/4 |
| 2 | Penn state vs. Wisconsin | 17/4 |
| 3 | Ohio State vs. Minnesota | 19/2 |
| 4 | Michigan vs. Wisconsin | 21/2 |
| 5 | Penn State vs. Minnesota | 30/1 |
| 6 | Michigan vs. Minnesota | 69/1 |
While all of these odds have been focused on what happens after the regular season, we also got odds for some of the biggest remaining regular season games.
Despite having to face the gauntlet of Wisconsin, Penn State, and Michigan over the course of six weeks’ time, the Buckeyes would still be favored by more than a touchdown against each.
Projected Big Game Spreads | Oct. 16
| Date | Match-up | Projected Favorite | Projected Spread |
|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Match-up | Projected Favorite | Projected Spread |
| 10/26 | Wisconsin at Ohio State | Ohio State | -9.5 |
| 10/26 | Notre Dame at Michigan | Notre Dame | -2.5 |
| 11/2 | Georgia vs. Florida | Georgia | -5.5 |
| 11/9 | LSU at Alabama | Alabama | -7 |
| 11/23 | Penn State at Ohio State | Ohio State | -11.5 |
| 11/30 | Minnesota at Wisconsin | Wisconsin | -13.5 |
| 11/30 | Ohio State at Michigan | Ohio State | -7.5 |
| 11/30 | Alabama at Auburn | Alabama | -7.5 |