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As college football kicks off its 2023 season Saturday with Week 0 matchups, there is one clear favorite to win the national championship.
Georgia, the reigning two-time champion, is expected by many to make it a three-peat, and will debut its new team on September 2.
The Bulldogs finished 15-0 and won its second consecutive national championship last season. Georgia narrowly defeated Ohio State in a College Football Playoff semifinal game before thrashing TCU, 65-7, to win the title. Kirby Smart's Georgia team now sits atop the preseason polls heading into the new season and is the betting favorite to win it all again. Nick Saban's Alabama team might have something to say about that, though, and so will Ohio State and other perennial favorites.
Here's a look at what coaches, journalists and oddsmakers think heading into the 2023 season.
Betting Favorites to Win the National Championship
It's never too early for a futures bet, at least according to sports books.
The national championship game won't be played until January 8 of next year. Still, it's already on the minds of some bettors. Here are the favorites to win the college football national championship this season, according to DraftKings Sportsbook as of Thursday afternoon:
- Georgia (+220)
- Alabama (+600)
- Ohio State (+700)
- Michigan (+800)
- LSU (+1100)
- USC (+1500)
- Clemson (+1800)
- Florida State (+2000)
- Penn State (+2200)
- Texas (+2200)
DraftKings also lists Clemson, Texas, Georgia, Ohio State and USC as the favorites to win their respective conferences.
Ten players from Georgia's championship-winning roster last season were selected in the 2023 NFL Draft. That includes starting quarterback and Heisman Trophy finalist Stetson Bennett IV as well as All-American defensive tackle Jalen Carter. So, why is Georgia favored to become the first team to win three consecutive national championships since Minnesota in the 1930s?
Well, the Bulldogs are used to winning and reloading.
Georgia lost 15 players to the draft after winning the 2021 title, only to win it all again the next season. Despite losing so many key players, Georgia still returns 13 starters from last season's team, including Mackey Award-winning tight end Brock Bowers. Plus, the Bulldogs had the second-rated 2023 recruiting class in the country, per 247 Sports. The team's championship fate may ultimately depend on how well new starting quarterback Carson Beck takes over for Bennett.
Which Teams Are Ranked Highest in the Polls?
Most coaches and journalists voting in their respective polls have Georgia at No. 1
Georgia received 60 out of 63 first-place votes in the preseason Associated Press (AP) poll. Second-ranked Michigan received two, while third-ranked Ohio State received one. Rounding out the top 10 in the AP poll are: Alabama, LSU, USC, Penn State, Florida State, Clemson and Washington.
Michigan is coming off consecutive Big Ten Championship Game wins and College Football Playoff appearances. The Wolverines were eliminated in the playoff semifinals on both occasions.
The top 10 was nearly identical in the preseason coaches poll released by USA Today. Alabama was ranked No. 3 by the coaches, while Ohio State came in at No. 4. Otherwise, Nos. 5-9 were the same in both polls. Tennessee is ranked 10th, according to the coaches, compared to 12th in the AP poll. Sixty-one of 66 coaches who voted in the poll ranked Georgia first. Alabama (four) and Ohio State (one) also received first-place votes from the coaches.
Alabama is forced to replace, among others, Bryce Young and Will Anderson, two of the top three picks in April's NFL draft, this season. But history seems to indicate the Crimson Tide will be in the championship chase. Since Alabama won its first national title under Saban in 2009, it has not gone more than two seasons without winning it all.
The Crimson Tide have come up short in 2021 and 2022 since winning it all in 2020.
National Champions in the College Football Playoff Era
In the nine years since the College Football Playoff took over as the sport's postseason format, only five different teams have won national championships.
Saban's Alabama dynasty has won three titles in that span, more than any other program.
Georgia and Clemson will both try to catch that this year. The Bulldogs and Tigers have both won two national championships since 2014. Ohio State (2014) and LSU (2019) have both won the title once in the College Football Playoff era. No team ranked seventh or lower in the preseason by the coaches has won the national championship in the playoff era.
Oddly enough, only one preseason No. 1 team has gone on to win the national championship since 2014: Alabama in 2017. So watch out, Georgia.
About the writer
Robert Read is a Life & Trends Reporter at Newsweek based in Florida. His background is primarily in sports journalism ... Read more