As CFB Week 0 Approaches, Here's the Latest National Title Odds

As the annual initial saturation of our football palate, college football Week 0 is finally here for us to sink our teeth into.

To make matters sweeter, we are currently seeing three of the seven opening-week games with single-digit spreads, per the college football odds at FanDuel Sportsbook; that means we should have a few tightly contested matchups right out of the gate.

Still, we won't see many College Football Playoff contenders in action this weekend. Other than the USC Trojans -- who host San Jose State -- none of the top-10 teams on FanDuel Spotsbook's national title odds board are playing this weekend.

In 2023, the usual powerhouses are seen as natty frontrunners -- and rightfully so. At the dawning of the NIL era, Georgia, Alabama, Ohio State, Michigan and LSU enter CFB Week 0 as the likeliest candidates to win it all.

*Denotes 2022 CFP National Champion

Before any Week 0 contest kicks off in a few days, let us peruse the perennial leaders to win the next College Football Playoff National Championship Game, which takes place on January 8th, 2024 at NRG Stadium -- home of the Houston Texans.

All college football odds via FanDuel Sportsbook.

Georgia Bulldogs

FanDuel Sportsbook Odds: +220

Enter the almighty Bulldogs. Two-time reigning national champion Georgia is in search of the first college football three-peat since World War II. Head coach Kirby Smart and the Dawgs have not lost a game in more than 600 days.

UGA returns offensive top players Brock Bowers, Ladd McConkey and Kendall Milton to complement new starting quarterback Carson Beck. Center Sedrick Van Pran and other returners are back along the O-Line in 2023, a unit that Pro Football Focus has ranked as the second-best front five in the country.

The defense will still be stout with stars Javon Bullard, Jamon Dumas-Johnson and Warren Brinson. Remember: Georgia allowed just 14.3 points per game in 2022 and only 10.2 ppg in 2021. Simply, the football culture is just different between the hedges.

Alabama Crimson Tide

FanDuel Sportsbook Odds: +600

Head coach Nick Saban and Alabama have gone without a national football title in consecutive years for only the second time since 2014. They will likely be as hungry as ever to end that brief drought in Tuscaloosa.

Per reports, Jalen Milroe is slated to take over the quarterbacking duties in the post-Bryce Young era for 'Bama. The 6-foot-2 QB from Texas will look to carry on a recent strand of Crimson Tide greatness at the position.

Alabama's current roster still boasts talent all throughout; ESPN's College Football Power Index (FPI) has the Tide rated at 28.2, which ranks second-best in the country.

Ohio State Buckeyes

FanDuel Sportsbook Odds: +700

In search of his first national championship, head coach Ryan Day has the Buckeyes back in a premier position.

In line with the school's historic reputation, Ohio State has been a perpetual wide receiver factory as of late. In 2023, Marvin Harrison Jr. has a shot to become the greatest of all -- the 6-foot-3 receiver went for 1,263 yards and 14 touchdowns last year.

Fellow junior Kyle McCord is attempting to enter the season as QB1 in Columbus. However, sophomore quarterback Devin Brown may have other ideas. Whoever wins the starting job will have all the necessary weapons to keep this offense at an elite level. The Buckeyes' attack scored an astronomical 44.2 points per game in 2022 (second-best in FBS).

Ohio State is the top team in the aforementioned ESPN FPI with a rating of 31.5. They aren't the top squad by the betting odds, though, sitting at 7/1.

Michigan Wolverines

FanDuel Sportsbook Odds: +850

Despite the University of Michigan recently announcing a three-game suspension for head coach Jim Harbaugh, the Wolverines' 2023 natty odds have stood stagnant at +850. Perhaps that is because Michigan is at "The Big House" in all three of those weeks, facing East Carolina, UNLV and Bowling Green in that span -- all games Michigan will be double-digit favorites in.

The Wolverines play a consistent brand of football, anchored by the best offensive line in the entire nation, according to PFF. Protecting quarterback J.J. McCarthy is returning maulers Karsen Barnhart, Trevor Keegan and Zack Zinter. Additionally, stellar Pac-12 transfers Drake Nugent and LaDarius Henderson should have a positive impact on the O-Line.

Can this team bring back a national title to Ann Arbor for the first time since Charles Woodson was on campus? It is worth mentioning that the Wolverines have yielded more bets than any other school in the 2023-24 national title market right now at FanDuel Sportsbook.

LSU Tigers

FanDuel Sportsbook Odds: +1200

Just four years ago, Louisiana State University boasted arguably the best college football team of all time. With Coach O moved on, and Joe Burrow, Ja'Marr Chase, Justin Jefferson and many others now starring on Sundays, the Bayou Bengals have done well to return to contention.

In 2023, LSU will led by signal-caller Jayden Daniels. Other than Michigan's McCarthy (79.0 QBR), no quarterback from any of the top-five schools in the national title market had a better 2022 season than Daniels did (77.5 QBR), and that was only his first campaign with LSU after transferring from Arizona State.

The Tigers also showcase an offensive line that PFF has ranked eighth in the country.

For head coach Brian Kelly's second season in Baton Rouge, all signs point to an improvement on the prior 10-4 record.

Honorable Mention

USC Trojans +1600

Perhaps the buzziest team in the nation right now, the USC Trojans are back for Year 2 of reigning Heisman winner Caleb Williams and head coach Lincoln Riley.

As the first non-SEC/non-Big Ten (for now) school on the odds board in this market, Southern Cal is looking to make 2023 a memorable one. Their Air Raid offense produced 41.4 points per game last year and is looking to do more of the same in the coming campaign.

However, are the Trojans up to snuff on the defensive side?

We'll see if the expectations around USC change at all after their Week 0 tilt with San Jose State. A final note of interest on the Trojans: Southern California has accounted for the second-largest handle share at FanDuel Sportsbook to win the 2023-24 CFP National Championship Game, trailing only Michigan.

Clemson Tigers +1600

Head coach Dabo Swinney and the Clemson Tigers last won the College Football Playoff National Championship back in 2018, losing in the 2019 title game to LSU.

Right now, Clemson is still top-10 by ESPN's FPI (19.4), but they will be turning over the keys to the car to sophomore quarterback Cade Klubik after D.J. Uiagalelei transferred to Oregon State. In spot work last year, Klubnik completed 61 of 100 passes. A graduate of Westlake High in Texas, Klubnik is looking to follow in the footsteps of fellow alums Drew Brees and Nick Foles. Of course, Clemson has high quarterbacking standards of their own.

College Football Week 0 Schedule

Navy Midshipmen vs. No. 13 Notre Dame Fighting Irish (N)

• Neutral location: Aviva Stadium, Dublin, Ireland
• Time: 2:30 p.m. ET
• TV: NBC
• Spread: ND -20.5 (-105)
• Moneyline: NAVY +740/ND -1250
• Total: 50.5

UTEP Miners at Jacksonville State Gamecocks

• Time: 5:30 p.m. ET
• TV: CBS Sports Network
• Spread: UTEP -1.5 (-105)
• Moneyline: UTEP -114/JSU -105
• Total: 53.5 (-115/-105)

UMass Minutemen at New Mexico State Aggies

• Time: 7:00 p.m. ET
• TV: ESPN
• Spread: NMSU -7.5 (-110)
• Moneyline: MASS +240/NMSU -310
• Total: 44.5

Ohio Bobcats at San Diego State Aztecs

• Time: 7:00 p.m. ET
• TV: FS1
• Spread: SDSU -2.5 (-112)
• Moneyline: OHIO +112/SDSU -134
• Total: 49.5 (-105/-115)

Hawai'i Rainbow Warriors at Vanderbilt Commodores

• Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
• TV: SEC Network
• Spread: VAN -17 (-115)
• Moneyline: VAN -1050/HAW +660
• Total: 55.5

San Jose State Spartans at No. 6 USC Trojans

• Time: 8:00 p.m. ET
• TV: PAC-12 Network
• Spread: USC -30.5 (-115)
• Moneyline: N/a
• Total: 64.5

FIU Panthers at Louisiana Tech Bulldogs

• Time: 9:00 p.m. ET
• TV: CBS Sports Network
• Spread: -10.5 LT
• Moneyline: FIU +315/LT -420
• Total: 58.5

Looking for the latest college football odds? Head over to FanDuel Sportsbook and check out all of the college football betting options.

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