Georgia’s National Championship Odds Improve to +550 Thanks to Win Over Notre Dame

• The Georgia Bulldogs edged the Notre Dame Fighting Irish 23-17 on Saturday night
• The Bulldogs had just 339 yards of total offense
• See what Georgia’s chances are of competing for a national championship

The Georgia Bulldogs hung on for a closer-than-expected win over the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Now their CFP National Championship odds have shortened even more so. Are the Bulldogs a good bet to win it all now that they’ve cleared one of their major hurdles or should their effort concern bettors?

2020 CFP National Championship Odds

*Odds taken 09/22/19 .

Georgia Ekes out win Versus Notre Dame

The Bulldogs were favored in the range of about two touchdowns on Saturday night but they were never really in position to cover. They trailed for most of the first half and even though they pulled in front 23-10 in the fourth quarter, they needed a last-minute defensive stop to end the game.

The Bulldogs looked good but not great throughout the game as Jake Fromm finished 20-of-26 but had just 187 passing yards with one touchdown. D’Andre Swift was similar as he had 98 yards on 18 carries with a touchdown, but 15 of that came on one play. He was mostly held in check.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L43HVaImNPU

As for the defense, they mostly did their part but they still very nearly blew a 13-point, fourth-quarter lead. Overall, it was a good effort by Georgia because they beat a pretty good team. Even so, it wasn’t the dominant performance most people were expecting.

Maybe Notre Dame is that Good?

One of the key things to take into account when evaluating this game is that maybe Notre Dame is, in fact, that good? Sure, many experts like Paul Finebaum expected them to get smashed but they didn’t. They played well for four quarters in almost every facet of the game.

Quarterback Ian Book did have a shaky stretch in the second half but for the most part, he did what was necessary to give his team a chance to win on the road in a hostile environment. It’s entirely possible that Georgia simply beat a good team – not a average or mediocre one.

Bulldogs will Have More Tests to Come

Originally, many people felt that the Bulldogs had a soft schedule to deal with. However, they’ll get tested at least a couple more times. They’ll have to face a Top-10 team in Florida on a neutral site in November. A couple of weeks later, they’ll have to visit No. 8 Auburn, who has shown to be a very good team.

There are also home matchups against Missouri and Texas A&M, who might be Top 25 teams when they get together. Beyond that, there’s the SEC Championship Game – if they get there – where they’ll have to probably face Alabama.

What’s the Best Bet?

At this point, I wouldn’t bet on Georgia to win it all. At +550, I don’t see a ton of value on them and they didn’t look that impressive against Notre Dame. If they play like that the rest of the way, they’re bound to have a loss or two.

At the current prices, I would rather take a flier on LSU or Ohio State, who are both at +900. LSU, in particular, looks like they could be a title contender with the way Joe Burrow has been playing.