Ohio State, Pittsburgh See Title Odds Improve; Penn State, Oklahoma Fade

• Ohio State saw it’s National Championship odds significantly improve after Week 8
• Pittsburgh is also on the rise after taking down ACC powerhouse Clemson
• Penn State and Oklahoma both saw their title odds fade following Week 8

A Big Ten superpower continues to rise following a slow start to the season. Ohio State is closing the gap on Alabama and Georgia in the CFP National Championship odds after blowing out Indiana in Week 8.

Pittsburgh also saw major improvement in their National Title odds after dethroning Clemson in an ACC showdown. Penn State and Oklahoma, meanwhile, both saw their title odds fade following disappointing Week 8 performances.

The table below show the updated National Championship odds following Week 8.

National Championship Odds

Odds as of October 24th at FanDuel.

Buckeyes Won’t Be Denied

Ohio State saw it’s CFP National Championship odds improve from +700 to +450 after blowing out Indiana by a 54-7 score in Week 8. The Buckeyes have been steadily rising in the odds after a slow start to the season. OSU has reeled off five straight victories following an upset loss to Oregon in Week 2.

Week 8 was a statement win for Ohio State considering they only beat Indiana by seven points last season. QB CJ Stroud threw for 266 yards and four TD passes, while Treveyon Henderson rushed for 81 yards and two scores. The Buckeyes managed the win despite being without 14 players, including RB Master Teague.

✔️Explosive
✔️Relentless
✔️ROAD DUB#GoBucks pic.twitter.com/iWlyQIs5YF

— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) October 24, 2021

It’s clear that this isn’t the same Ohio State team that fell to Oregon in Columbus back in September. The Buckeyes’ young offensive weapons have made major strides since the start of the year and are torching opponents. Ryan Day’s team has beaten it’s last five opponents by an average margin of 41.6 points.

It’s no surprise Ohio State is closing in on Alabama and Georgia in the title odds. The Buckeyes are the current favorite in the Big Ten Title odds and have made the CFP in each of the past two seasons. Considering they already have a loss, OSU controls its own destiny with huge upcoming games against Penn State, Michigan State and Michigan.

Panthers Are CFP Longshot

Pittsburgh (6-1) was the team that saw the most improvement in it’s National Title odds following Week 8. The Panthers moved from +8000 to +6000 after taking down Clemson 27-17 at Heinz Field. Senior QB Kenny Pickett bolstered his Heisman resume by throwing for 302 yards and two TDS in the victory.

Pittsburgh’s offense has been electric this season, but there were concerns if it could deliver against Clemson’s elite defense. Those concerns got put to rest when the Panthers gashed the Tigers for almost 500 yards of total offense. The defense was also impressive, getting pressure on QB D.J. Uiagalelei and forcing two interceptions.

VICTORY LIGHTS ✨✨

PITT BEATS CLEMSON 🗣️#H2P » #WeNotMe pic.twitter.com/9CioiG5TUp

— Pitt Football (@Pitt_FB) October 23, 2021

Pittsburgh beating Clemson indicates a changing of the guard in the ACC. The Panthers are now the clear favorites to win the Atlantic Coastal Division after improving their winning streak to five games. Clemson has suffered three losses and will likely see their six-year streak of winning the ACC comes to an end.

Can Pittsburgh actually make the CFP? The Panthers should be favored in each one of their remaining games, but the loss on their resume is ugly. The Panthers lost 44-41 to a Western MI team that ranks sixth in the MAC. There are one-loss teams with much better losses, so Pitt will need to win out and get some outside help.

Penn State Fades

If Penn State (5-2) wanted any chance of making the College Football Playoff, they needed to win every remaining game on their schedule. The Nittany Lions threw away those chances with a shocking 20-18 overtime loss to Illinois in Week 8. James Franklin’s team entered the game as heavy 23.5-point favorites.

#Illini take down No. 7 Penn State in OT! pic.twitter.com/15BVs9OREL

— Illinois Football (@IlliniFootball) October 23, 2021

Penn State faded from +15000 to +5000 in the National Championship odds after losing in an FBS-record ninth overtime. QB Sean Clifford threw for 165 yards and one TD in his return from injury, but the Nittany Lions were decimated in the trenches. Illinois outgained Penn State 357-62 on the ground.

Penn State was already a longshot to make the CFP considering their previous signature wins over Auburn and Wisconsin weren’t all that impressive. The Nittany Lions can only play spoiler now with upcoming games against Ohio State, Penn State and Michigan State.

Big 12 CFP Update

Week 8 was particularly interesting for the Big 12 CFP conversation. Oklahoma (8-0) saw it’s National Title odds fade from +1600 to +2000 after beating Kansas 35-23 at Memorial Stadium. The Sooners entered the game as heavy 38.5-point favorites, yet were trailing 10-0 at halftime. The team rallied in the second half behind freshman QB Caleb Williams.

38-point underdog Kansas leads No. 3 Oklahoma at the half 👀 pic.twitter.com/aTonUWRTSB

— ESPN (@espn) October 23, 2021

Oklahoma was outgained 412-398 in yardage and lost the possession battle to a Jayhawks team that was winless entering the game. This is the type of loss that has oddsmakers questioning if Oklahoma can compete with the big boys this year. The Sooners don’t have a good playoff reputation as is, sporting an 0-4 record in the CFP.

The huge Big 12 showdown in Week 8 was between Iowa State (5-2) and Oklahoma State (6-1). The Cyclones improved to +8000 in the CFP National Championship odds after beating the Cowboys 24-21. Mike Gundy’s team saw its Title odds fade to +15000 after the loss.

Iowa State hands No. 8 Oklahoma State its first loss of the season 🌪 pic.twitter.com/MnO6gVhFBS

— ESPN College Football (@ESPNCFB) October 23, 2021

Oklahoma State and Iowa State haven’t been impressive enough to crash the CFP party, but they both still have the chance to take out Oklahoma. The Sooners have made the CFP with one loss before, but considering their lackluster play this season, a loss to OSU or ISU would open the door for undefeated Cincinnati to take their place.