Tulsa Has Better Odds Than Auburn & Miami to Win the National Championship

• The Tulsa Golden Hurricane have won just five games over the last two seasons
• Tulsa lost four of their last six games, losing by an average of 16.0 points per game
• Tulsa has better odds to win the National Championship than Auburn, Penn State, and Wisconsin

As we start to make our way into spring, college football training sessions will get underway. If you’ve been taking an early look at the National Championship odds, you’d have noticed something bizarre: the Tulsa Golden Hurricane, who were 3-9 last season, have better odds to win the National Championship than Miami, Auburn and Penn State.

Is it really Tulsa’s year or is this just some strange typo?

2019 College Football Playoff National Championship Odds

*Odds taken 05/09/19

Tulsa Was Not a Good Team Last Season

Tulsa has struggled over the last couple of seasons and head coach Philip Montgomery will be coaching for his job this year. This team has just five wins in total over the last two seasons, suggesting that the Golden Hurricane have a very long way to go.

TOUCHDOWN TU! Seth Boomer finds Keenen Johnson alone in the back of the end zone and the Hurricane lead 14-0 with 13:06 left in the half. pic.twitter.com/S62zfzdkle

— Tulsa Football (@TulsaFootball) November 24, 2018

The challenge is that this team wasn’t close in a lot of games last year. Their final four losses were by a margin of 16.0 points per game. Their only wins down the stretch came against a 1-11 Connecticut team and a 5-7 SMU squad.

Tulsa Has Quality Options at Quarterback

If we’re looking at the positives, one reason for excitement is because they have a couple of decent quarterbacks on the roster. Seth Boomer provided optimism last year, finishing with nine touchdowns and just two interceptions in his final six games as a freshman.

The school also pulled over Baylor transfer Zach Smith. Sadly, that’s mostly where it ends.

BOOMER TO ANDERSON!

Seth Boomer completes a 37 yards pass on 3rd & 17 for a first down at the Navy 4 yard line! #ReignCane pic.twitter.com/DHoPG6LkqU

— Tulsa Football (@TulsaFootball) November 17, 2018

Tulsa’s Schedule is Brutal

Tulsa has a very challenging start to the season as they’ll be at Michigan State in Week 1 and then they’ll also get a visit from Oklahoma State in Week 3. In terms of conference play, they’ll have to go to Cincinnati, will host Memphis, UCF, and Houston. This team figures to be a 15-point underdog in at least five games.

“I’m just glad I don’t have to play you,” Tulsa HC Philip Montgomery to @shaquemgriffin.

Here’s why ? #RiseandConquer pic.twitter.com/gSQ1eX0YkG

— UCF Football (@UCF_Football) July 18, 2017

To be fair, it would be a modest success if this team even went bowling and Montgomery didn’t get fired.

Giving them a 2% chance to win the National Title is completely preposterous.

Why Is Tulsa Ahead of Auburn, Penn State, Miami and Wisconsin?

Auburn, Penn State, Miami, and Wisconsin have incredibly tough roads to the College Football Playoff.

Auburn lost Jarrett Stidham and is rebuilding, and they’ll have to somehow finish above Alabama and Georgia to qualify. That’s not happening.

As for Miami, they’re also in a rebuild and will have to finish above Clemson. Good luck.

“Oh yeah,” Gus Malzahn said after chipping from off the green. pic.twitter.com/xN8EI0guI6

— Michael Casagrande (@ByCasagrande) May 8, 2019

As for the two Big Ten teams, they’re also in rebuilds and will have to contend with a star-studded Ohio State team and a quality Michigan roster.

It’s because of those paths that you see those teams at long odds. But at the same time, it doesn’t mean that Tulsa really has a better shot. It’s more likely that someone forgot a zero when setting the line on the Golden Hurricane.

Take a Shot with Texas A&M

If we’re looking at longshots in the 50/1 range and beyond, one team I would consider is Texas A&M. Of course, we’re throwing darts here, but I like what head coach Jimbo Fisher is doing at College Station. On top of that, he’ll have one of the best quarterbacks in the country with Kellen Mond back.

Kellen Mond. Christian Kirk.

THAT. WAS. RIDICULOUS.

Touchdown @AggieFootball. pic.twitter.com/EMij1bvqQ1

— SEC Network (@SECNetwork) October 8, 2017

Their schedule is absolutely brutal as they’ll go have to go to Clemson, host Alabama, host Auburn, host Mississippi State, host South Carolina, then go to Georgia and LSU to end the year.

However, this team lost by two to Clemson last year and “just” 22 to Alabama (on the road) when Alabama was destroying everything in their path.

From this range of teams, this is one that I would consider.