The college football season is pretty much halfway over. So where do the major national championship contenders sit in relationship to each other on betting boards? The College Football Power Rankings go through the odds of each of the country’s top 15 teams chances to win it all.
1. Florida State Seminoles
This week: 11/2
Last week: 6/1
The Seminoles are getting ready for the week’s big game, a prime-time showdown against Notre Dame in Tallahassee. The Seminoles don’t yet know if Jameis Winston will start at quarterback, though, because Winston is being investigated for a possible violation of NCAA rules, specifically amateurism and the trading in of one’s likeness for a profit (through the signing of memorabilia for cash). If Winston sits out, Sean Maguire – who filled in for Winston a few weeks ago against Clemson – would once again step into the starting spot and be asked to minimize mistakes in an attempt to win the game for Florida State. This team has the defense to win without Winston, but the offense would become a definite question mark.
Tie, 2. Michigan State Spartans
This week: 7/1
Last week: 8/1
Michigan State isn’t looking great, but the Spartans are quietly moving along and winning the games they’re supposed to win. Michigan State just wants to keep winning before its huge game against Ohio State. If the Spartans can win that game, their national title odds are going to rise significantly, and they’re going to become a likely candidate for the College Football Playoff.
Tie, 2. Mississippi State Bulldogs
This week: 7/1
Last week: 18/1
The Bulldogs are one of the new teams on this top-nine list, and they’re ranked first in the Associated Press writers’ poll at the moment following a huge win over the Auburn Tigers. Mississippi State’s offense performed well in the first quarter of the game, but it was the defense which hounded Auburn quarterback Nick Marshall over the final three quarters, especially in the red zone. If Mississippi State’s defense can continue to play at that level over the course of the season, the Bulldogs are going to remain a championship contender to the very end.
4. Alabama Crimson Tide
This week: 8/1
Last week: 10/1
The Crimson Tide are severely overvalued in this fourth spot in the odds list, because there’s nothing which indicates that they’re one of the five or eight or even 10 best teams in the country right now. Alabama scored just 14 points at Arkansas a week after scoring only 17 points against Ole Miss. This is an offense with a quarterback, Blake Sims, who is still learning how to play the position. Alabama’s successes earlier in the season were not so much about the Tide, but about the teams Alabama played, West Virginia and Florida. This team has to show a whole different personality, a much stronger one, in order to become a national title contender. The Tide really aren’t one right now, and bettors need to downgrade this team until they see something new and more impressive.
5. Ole Miss Rebels
This week: 9/1
Last week: 16/1
The Rebels are another new team on this list thanks to another big win, this one on the road against Texas A&M. Ole Miss needed to show that it could follow up one big home win with another big win away from home, and coach Hugh Freeze’s team did just that. Ole Miss has a physical and intimidating defense, one that gets a great push up front and denies time to a quarterback. With the defense anchoring the team, quarterback Bo Wallace realizes that he doesn’t have to be a hero. He had a gunslinger’s mentality in the past, but he’s learning how to take care of the ball more and make simple plays when they’re available. As long as Wallace continues to make smart decisions with the ball, he’s going to be okay. Ole Miss will be more than okay, too.
Tie, 6. Notre Dame Fighting Irish
This week: 10/1
Last week: 10/1
The Fighting Irish go to Florida State this weekend for a huge game against the defending national champions. Notre Dame played for the national title at the end of the 2012 season, and it is trying to get back to the big stage two years later. Everett Golson is the quarterback who led the Irish to the 2013 BCS National Championship Game against Alabama, and he’s the quarterback who – after a year off due to academic violations – is physically rejuvenated as he tries to lead the Irish back up the mountain. Golson needs to play well for the Irish to win this game, and he also needs to play well in order to stay in the Heisman Trophy race.
Tie, 6. Oklahoma Sooners
This week: 10/1
Last week: 12/1
The Sooners just did not play very well against Texas on Saturday in Dallas, but they did manage to win the game and put behind them the memory of a bad loss to TCU the week before. Oklahoma quarterback Trevor Knight has taken some steps back from his big night against West Virginia a few weeks ago. Oklahoma’s offensive line was controlled by Texas’ defensive line. The Sooners didn’t establish the run game, and they didn’t convert a third down until late in the fourth quarter. Oklahoma’s pass rush and pass coverage also left a lot to be desired. They made Texas’ unproductive offense look pretty good.
8. Auburn Tigers
This week: 12/1
Last week: 13/2
The Tigers lost to Mississippi State, but they know that if they win out, they can still win the SEC West and defend their SEC title in the 2014 SEC Championship Game. Auburn didn’t win third downs against Mississippi State, and it didn’t win in the red zone. If the Tigers can fix those issues, they can come back. They’re a better looking team than in-state rival Alabama.
Tie, 9. Baylor Bears
This week: 14/1
Last week: 14/1
The Bears pulled off a truly remarkable comeback, staring at a 58-37 deficit in the fourth quarter and managing to score 24 points down the stretch for a 61-58 win that didn’t even require overtime. Baylor’s defense will have to get better, and so will quarterback Bryce Petty, who was sluggish in the first and third quarters before finding his range in the fourth.
Tie, 9. Georgia Bulldogs
This week: 14/1
Last week: 14/1
The Bulldogs are not a lead contender for the national title, but they are now the favorite in the SEC East after taking apart Missouri. The Bulldogs were solid, but Missouri was terrible, and so Georgia doesn’t really know just how good a team it is on its own. This team is merely the best in a bad division.
Tie, 9. Ohio State Buckeyes
This week: 14/1
Last week: 20/1
The Buckeyes look better, even after a bye week. This team has looked sharper as the season has gone along, and Urban Meyer is getting the most out of his players right now. Ohio State just wants to avoid slipping before playing Michigan State in the Big Ten game of the year.
Tie, 9. Oregon Ducks
This week: 14/1
Last week: 22/1
The Ducks walloped UCLA on Saturday, a great step forward for a team after a bad loss to Arizona. The Ducks can’t slip up another time, but if they can play the way they did against UCLA, they’ll be in good shape six weeks from now.
Tie, 13. Nebraska 50/1
Tie, 13. TCU 50/1
Tie, 15. Kansas State 66/1
Tie, 15. Oklahoma State 66/1
