Texas Gaining on Oklahoma in 2019-20 CFP National Title Odds

• The Texas Longhorns’ average National Championship odds have shortened to +2300
• Texas is gaining ground on its Big 12 rival Oklahoma, whose average odds haven’t moved in well over a month
• Are the Longhorns a good bet to win the 2020 National Championship?

Texas football is back folks! Or at least that’s what online sportsbooks want you to believe. The Longhorns are fresh off their first 10-win season in a decade, and are generating plenty of buzz both in the media and the college football futures market.

Odds to Win 2020 CFP National Championship

*Odds taken on 06/19/19

Their average  National Championship odds have shortened to +2300 (from +2500 in May), and while bookmakers appear to be growing bullish on this Texas team, they haven’t touched the odds of the Big 12 favorite, Oklahoma, in well over a month.

Sam Ehlinger is the Catalyst for the Longhorns Hype

Texas finally has a bonafide stud at the quarterback position. Sam Ehlinger is fresh off a sophomore season that was statistically superior to anything Colt McCoy or Vince Young accomplished at that age, and most believe he’ll be even better in 2019.

Sam Ehlinger is ready to ROLL for the Longhorns this season. pic.twitter.com/xV9XzMNLqh

— PFF College (@PFF_College) June 17, 2019

Ehlinger accounted for 25 touchdowns through the air, and another 16 on the ground last season, while earning an 85.7 grade from Pro Football Focus and forcing the seventh-most missed tackles in forced rushing situations. His ceiling is the main reason why the Longhorns are closing the gap on the Sooners in the betting market, but the hype might be getting out of hand, especially if you ask a certain Oklahoma alum.

.@bakermayfield made it clear that Texas is NOT back. And, he had some thoughts on the Longhorns’ starting QB, Sam Ehlinger, with @TedLehman11 and @Tyler_McComas. #Sooners pic.twitter.com/7BZ9wS5Vjw

— SportsTalk1400 (@Sportstalk1400) June 19, 2019

The fact is no matter how prolific Texas’ offense is in 2019, they’re going to have a very difficult time keeping other elite teams out of the endzone.

The Longhorns Defense Will be Their Downfall

Texas will be breaking in eight new defensive starters this season, including an entirely new defensive line from a season ago. Growing pains will be inevitable, especially early on, and one slip up could derail any shot they might have at reaching the College Football Playoff.

The Future Power Rankings are in and rounding out the top three spots in college football …

1️⃣: @ClemsonFB
2️⃣: @AlabamaFTBL
3️⃣: @FootballUGA

Full Top 25: https://t.co/G66pgUU3np pic.twitter.com/PmhgVtU1pg

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) June 13, 2019

Two months ago, ESPN’s Playoff Predictor gave the Longhorns less than a 1-percent chance to make the Playoff, while assigning the Sooners a 35-percent chance to return for a third consecutive season. Oklahoma is rated higher in the early season polls, and has the firepower to pick apart the Texas defense at every level.

Oklahoma is the Big 12 Team to Back

If you feel the need to back a Big 12 team to win the National Championship, sticking with a proven commodity like the Sooners makes the most sense.

THE No. 1 program in the modern era.#OneOklahoma☝️ #ChampU? #OUDNA pic.twitter.com/xrvKBakWNZ

— Oklahoma Football (@OU_Football) June 19, 2019

The Longhorns may be a team on the rise, but they’ll likely be more dangerous in 2020 assuming Ehlinger returns for his senior year and all the newcomers have a full season to mature. Personally, I don’t believe any Big 12 team can hang with Clemson or Alabama, and the projection systems seem to agree.

Both the Tigers and Crimson Tide rate top-four in future QB, offense, and defense rankings, while Texas is outside the top-five in all three categories and Oklahoma’s defense isn’t even ranked.