Georgia Rises in National Championship Odds after Stomping Oregon
- Georgia destroyed Oregon 49-3 in week 1
- The Bulldogs are now level with Ohio State to win the College Football National Championship
- Notre Dame has left the conversation after losing to the Buckeyes
With most of the first week of college football season in the books, the Georgia Bulldogs are the big winners. Seemingly written off in the College Football National Championship odds, the Bulldogs dismantled Oregon on Saturday. Georgia set the tone early, finishing with a 49-3 victory.
Notre Dame put up a fight, but ultimately came up short against Ohio State. The Buckeyes’ offense is just too explosive to contain for 60 minutes. A constant barrage of weaponry against tired Fighting Irish legs helped Ohio State pull away late, devastating Notre Dame’s National Championship odds.
The table below features the updated National Championship odds after week 1.
National Championship Odds
| Team | Odds |
|---|---|
| Alabama | +180 |
| Georgia | +300 |
| Ohio State | +300 |
| Clemson | +800 |
| USC | +1600 |
| Texas A&M | +2500 |
| Michigan | +4000 |
| Oklahoma | +5000 |
| Florida | +8000 |
| Texas | +8000 |
| Tennessee | +10000 |
| Miami | +10000 |
Odds as of September 4th at FanDuel Sportsbook.
Georgia Makes a Statement
Head coach Kirby Smart had this team ready for week 1, and it showed. The Bulldogs came out of the gates swinging and put the overmatched Oregon Ducks away quickly. Georgia set the tone early, scoring a touchdown on each of their first seven drives.
On top of that, quarterback Stetson Bennett put up a career performance, going 31 of 38 for 368 yards and two touchdowns. Bennett was the focal point of the Bulldogs’ attack. Proving that his coaches trust him just as much as the more publicized Heisman trophy favorite quarterbacks.
Additionally, despite losing a ton of NFL talent, the Bulldog defense didn’t miss a beat. Georgia’s defense smothered Oregon’s attack. Limiting Ducks QB Bo Nix to just 173 passing yards and picking him off twice. The front seven had Nix running for his life all afternoon, and swarmed to the football with alarming speed.
This game was a statement that the Georgia Bulldogs have reached a new level. Head coach Kirby Smart helped his friend Nick Saban build a dynasty in Tuscaloosa, and he aims to do the same for this Georgia program. The Bulldogs are the real deal and the National Championship odds show it.
Ohio State wins Ugly
The number two Buckeyes overcame a strong Notre Dame squad on Saturday night. Ohio State trailed at halftime before putting together two touchdown drives in the second half. Heisman favorite CJ Stroud finished with just 223 yards and two touchdowns. hardly boosting his candidacy after this one.
The Buckeyes actually saw their National Championship odds drop from +250 to level with Georgia at +300. After losing star wide receiver Jaxson Smith-Njigba to a leg injury in the first half, the Buckeyes’ receivers struggled to get on the same page as their quarterback. It wasn’t until a ten-play, seventy-yard touchdown drive midway through the third quarter that the offense seemed to wake up.
Notre Dame’s offense just couldn’t keep pace, as Ohio State’s defense overpowered them all night. With the loss, the Fighting Irish National Championship odds tumble from +5000 to +12000, taking them out of the picture.
Other Week 1 Notes
The Lincoln Riley era has begun at USC. The Trojans opened their season with an utter trouncing of Rice on Saturday, coming away with an easy 66-14 victory. Star quarterback Caleb Williams threw for 249 yards and two touchdowns in a comfortable debut. The Trojans National Championship odds jumped from +1600 to +2000. Riley and co. will look to keep the momentum going next week versus Stanford.
Packed house for the USC debut of Lincoln Riley, Caleb Williams and Jordan Addison. pic.twitter.com/BrSL9PkqVh
— The Field of 12 (@TheFieldOf76) September 3, 2022
Number 8 Michigan overpowered Colorado State, coming away with a commanding 51-7 victory. Jim Harbaugh is a happy man. His defense rotated heavily throughout the afternoon, putting up seven sacks in a dominant performance. The Wolverines’ rushing attack beat up on Colorado State to the tune of 234 yards and four touchdowns. Michigan leaped from +5000 to +4000 in the National Championship odds.
A sports betting aficionado and graduate of Toronto Film School, Nick covers the NFL, NBA, Soccer, and MMA for SBD. He is also an avid NBA podcaster, and sports betting TikToker. Nick's work has been featured on Bleacher Report.
