While we still have months before the 2017 college football season kicks off the anticipation is building with an eye towards another exciting year. One of the most intriguing elements that have been talked about is the perceived parity and the potential for at least three teams in almost each conference to contend for their respective championships. We decided to break down each team’s talent, experience, star power, coaching and overall potential to determine which teams we think have the best chance to make the most noise on a national stage. Here is a look at the five teams that have a legitimate chance to win the CFP.
Alabama Crimson Tide
Every year it seems as though this list begins with the Crimson Tide, which has become a perennial national championship contender. Alabama has appeared in five of the last eight championships as well as each of the first three CFP and after falling just short a year ago they will be determined to bounce back this season. Lane Kiffin’s departure could have a bigger effect than most people realize but the Crimson Tide is still loaded on both sides of the football and given their overall pedigree they undoubtedly have to be the sports betting favorite to win it all again.
USC Trojans
It’s easy to forget that the Trojans finished the season strong following last year’s disappointing 1-3 start. Now USC enters the 2017 season as a legitimate national title contender with quarterback Sam Darnold, Robert Jones II and five of its top defenders from a year ago. The Trojans must retool their offensive line but Darnold has another year of experience and the offense projects to be even more consistent this year. USC will also enjoy a much easier schedule than the brutal slate they had to endure last year so keep an eye out for them in the Pac-12 and on the national stage.
Ohio State Buckeyes
The Buckeyes were a year ahead of schedule when they made the CFP last year but this will be their time to truly contend for a national championship. Ohio State is loaded with returning talent and some intriguing new faces with a chance to make a major splash this season. J.T. Barrett is a potential star and he has plenty of playmakers around him including K.J Hill, Binjimen Victor and Austin Mack. The Buckeyes deserve to be the Big Ten favorites and if they can successfully navigate a difficult conference slate then they should be right there contending for a national title at season’s end.
Florida State Seminoles
Considering that Alabama’s biggest clash of the regular season is September 2nd against Florida State in Atlanta, we should be thrilled about the season opener. The Seminoles will have an improved defense that features a healthy Derwin James and much of the front seven returns. Meanwhile, Deondre Francois impressed as a freshman quarterback and should only be better with another year of experience. The fact that Dalvin Cook decided to jump up to the NFL level will help Alabama in this matchup as they won’t have to worry about one of the best running backs in college football. Florida State has a difficult schedule but if they can survive with one loss then they should be destined for the CFP with a chance to contend for the national championship.
Clemson Tigers
Perhaps the biggest obstacle in the Seminoles’ way is the defending national champion Tigers. Clemson has talent at every important position and while they lose star quarterback Deshaun Watson the reality is that he made plenty of mistakes during his Tigers’ career so maybe the loss won’t hurt as much as expected. Kelly Bryant and Hunter Johnson both have the potential to be good while the defense is loaded once again with Christian Wilkins, Dexter Lawrence and Clelin Ferrell all back in the mix. Clemson will be tested with games against Auburn, Louisville and Florida State and the odds are those games will be season-defining as they attempt to successfully defend their national championship in 2017.
Click here to bet on the futures for the 2017 season right now. As we approach spring football, DSI has all of the latest college football lines, spreads and props for this week’s action!
