The college football season is underway, and teams now have some game action to point to, both as a source of confidence and as a source of concern. Let’s see where the odds and keys have shifted.
1. Florida State Seminoles
This week: +365
Last week: +327
The odds have not improved for Florida State, because bettors saw how shaky the Seminoles were against Oklahoma State. The Seminoles were pushed back in the second half, often overpowered at the point of attack after halftime. Quarterback Jameis Winston threw multiple interceptions and was not his typically smooth self for most of the game. He had his moments, including a dashing and brilliant touchdown run, but he was not able to consistently mow down Oklahoma State’s young and untested secondary. Florida State’s offense looked average for much of the game, and that’s not what a lot of people were expecting. This team did win, and it could very well be that this was just a one-game struggle that won’t be a sign of things to come. However, there’s certainly reason to think that Florida State’s season won’t be smooth sailing anymore.
2. Alabama Crimson Tide
This week: +701
Last week: +600
The odds have similarly gone down for the Crimson Tide after their defense was cut apart by West Virginia’s offense and quarterback Clint Trickett on Saturday. Alabama’s offense was fine, piling up over 500 yards, but the defense was very lucky that West Virginia receivers dropped a combination of touchdown passes or first-down passes deep in Alabama territory. The defense has to be better in terms of generating a pass rush, which can ease the strain on the secondary, and also getting better coverage in the secondary itself. The linebackers were a big part of the pass coverage problem, and it’s clear that they have to work better in tandem with the secondary in order to make the Tide a better team as the season moves forward.
3. Oregon Ducks
This week: +746
Last week: +750
The Ducks played a patsy in week one and scored over 60 points. That’s not going to tell much of anything. The big test for the Ducks comes this Saturday against Michigan State in a game that will reshape these odds for next week. Oregon has to be able to withstand Michigan State’s strength and power in the trenches. If the Ducks can play fairly even at the line of scrimmage, they are then set up to dominate on the outside with their speed and quickness. Marcus Mariota, Oregon’s Heisman-candidate quarterback, lives for these kinds of games, and he has to be at or near his best in order for the Ducks to remain on course for the college football playoff.
4. Oklahoma Sooners
This week: +927
Last week: +977
The Sooners’ offense, under young second-year quarterback Trevor Knight, looked very sharp, but it was playing Louisiana Tech. Oklahoma is not going to get tested this next week, either, but a looming game against Tennessee later in September should give us the first really big look at what this team is really made of. There’s not much use in saying too much about the Sooners until then. They’re probably going to be stable in terms of the odds.
5. Georgia Bulldogs
This week: +1253
Last week: +2499
The Bulldogs rose noticeably in the odds list, because they popped the Clemson Tigers with a virtually perfect second half. A 21-21 tie turned into a rout after halftime, as Georgia completely swamped Clemson with a total physical onslaught in the second half. It was a no-contest kind of half at the line of scrimmage, with Georgia’s linemen firing off the ball and doing pretty much whatever they wanted. If Georgia can continue to establish Todd Gurley as the most dominant running back in the SEC, and quarterback Hutson Mason avoids turnovers, this team should be in contention for the SEC and national titles in December.
6. UCLA Bruins
This week: +1455
Last week: +1749
The Bruins stayed put after winning on the road, but not in very impressive fashion, against Virginia. UCLA’s defense was tremendous, scoring three touchdowns of its own. On the other hand, UCLA’s offense scored only seven points and has massive concerns along an offensive line that might not be able to protect quarterback Brett Hundley. If that problem doesn’t get addressed in very short order, the Bruins are going to be picked off sooner rather than later.
7. LSU Tigers
This week: +1505
Last week: +2284
The Tigers somehow beat Wisconsin after trailing by 17 points. LSU benefited from the fact that Wisconsin running back Melvin Gordon suffered a hip flexor in the middle of the game and was unable to be used much in the fourth quarter. LSU was shaky, but the team pulled through. If it can continue to show these survival instincts but also make real improvements in its passing game, it can still be a factor, but it’s going to be a hard climb in a division with Alabama, Auburn, and Texas A&M.
8. Auburn Tigers
This week: +1857
Last week: +2200
The Tigers were a mixed bag, and that’s why their odds have remained the same. The good news for Auburn is that backup quarterback Jeremy Johnson can throw the ball well, meaning that if the Tigers fall behind in the fourth quarter, they can bring Johnson off the bench to replace running quarterback (and normal starter) Nick Marshall, who was suspended for the first half of Saturday’s opener against Arkansas due to a citation for marijuana possession in the offseason. Auburn has a lot of pieces on offense that should enable the Tigers to remain very potent on that side of the line of scrimmage this season. The bad news was and is a defense that got shredded in the first half before stabilizing in the second half. Arkansas does not have a good offense, so better offenses in the SEC could pose Auburn’s defense a lot of problems in the weeks ahead.
9. Michigan State +1802
10. Texas A&M Aggies +1994
11. Ohio State Buckeyes +2261
12. Baylor +2311
13. USC +2908
14. Stanford +2818
15. Florida +5000
