College Football National Championship Odds: Biggest Risers After Week 1

Not to overreact to just one week of college football, but then-No. 11 LSU’s rout of Clemson on Saturday night has already had an impact on the national championship odds.

At the sharpest college football sportsbook, LSU sat at just +2700 to win it all in the preseason, the 10th-best odds. Now, all of a sudden, the Tigers look like real contenders both on the field and on the odds board.

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LSU, now +1000

The LSU Tigers were behind the likes of preseason No. 13 Alabama and preseason No. 12 Texas Tech in the national championship odds, at the back of the second tier in a season where seven teams looked like genuine contenders without even playing a down.

Now, LSU is among those contenders, already ahead of Indiana (steady at +1100) and not far behind Georgia (steady at +975) and Oregon (down to +825 from +675).

Some of that simply ties to Lane Kiffin’s team simply beating Clemson. That is one less game that could go against LSU, a game that was supposedly a worry.

Most of the jump in odds, though, comes from how impressive that was. This was supposed to be a possible obstacle. Instead, LSU turned Clemson into a bug on a windshield.

Miami, now +750

The preseason No. 7 Miami Hurricanes were always part of the group of seven teams that seemed like valid national title threats, but the Darian Mensah-to-Malachi Toney connection is already humming so efficiently, the Hurricanes are now among the actual favorites.

Miami jumped to +750 from preseason odds of +800, perhaps a small jump on the surface but one that slots them fourth on the odds board.

Admittedly, some of these shortened odds come from LSU’s wrecking of Clemson. How much should Miami worry about its Oct. 3 trip to Clemson? Certainly not as much as it may have a week ago.

The Hurricanes’ schedule should push them to no worse than 11-1, securing an assured spot in the College Football Playoff. That reality helps shorten these odds as much as Miami’s own play did.

Miami, now +750

The preseason No. 4 Notre Dame Irish did what was expected in beating Wisconsin, 41-13. The Irish were three-touchdown favorites. Adding a fourth touchdown to the margin in the closing moments hardly impacted sportsbooks’ opinions of the Irish.

Then why the shift from a preseason price of +675? Notre Dame is now the national champion favorite, ahead of No. 1 Ohio State and No. 5 Texas each at +675.

For one thing, the Wisconsin Badgers were one of Notre Dame’s only worries this season, arguably the fourth-toughest opponent on the Irish schedule.

For another, Notre Dame found success on a night it clearly did not look to be firing on all cylinders. Better should be soon expected.