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  • Back in March 2020, sportsbooks posted odds on the best teams in the NCAA earning a spot in the 2021 four-team playoff
  • Alabama, Ohio State, Clemson, and Notre Dame are favored to comprise the field as of mid-November
  • See how the odds changed in the unique, COVID-impacted season

The 2020-21 college football season wound up being unlike any other that came before due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

There were massive gaps and drastic fluctuations in the CFP qualification futures due to COVID, but at the end of the day, the playoff still went forward with #1 Alabama, #2 Clemson, #3 Ohio State, and #4 Notre Dame.

The graphs below set out the average odds for the main CFP hopefuls heading into and during the 2020-21 season.

Average 2021 College Football Playoff Odds

  • Nov. 18: Alabama (-900) and Ohio State (-775) are basically etched into CFP stone already, while Clemson (-400) and Notre Dame (-245) are heavily favored to grab the other two spots.
  • Oct. 13: CFP qualification odds have been re-posted. The top-three favorites remain unchanged (Clemson, Ohio State, and Alabama) even though the Buckeyes still haven’t played a game in 2020.
  • Oct. 2: There are still no odds to reach the four-team College Football Playoff at online sportsbooks. It’s possible they will not be posted again this season in light of the fact that the Big Ten teams are playing eight-game schedules and the Pac-12 just seven.
  • May 12: The 4-team playoff odds have been open for over six weeks and not a single team has seen its odds change.
  • Mar. 25: the opening odds favor Clemson (-200), Ohio State (-150), Alabama (-125), and Oklahoma (+125).

Odds to Make 2021 College Football Playoff

2021 CFP Contenders Yes No
Alabama -900 +500
Ohio State -775 +450
Clemson -400 +275
Notre Dame -245 +180
Oregon +140 -185
Florida +225 -310
BYU +900 -2900
USC +1200 -6600

Archived CFP Odds: 2020