College Football Futures: Who Should You Bet to Win Their Conference Titles?
Betting

College Football Futures: Who Should You Bet to Win Their Conference Titles?

With the college football season underway, it's a great time to look ahead at who could win their conference championships. John Supowitz highlights his favorite bets.

Published Updated

We’ve gotten through the offseason, and college football has officially kicked off. Although it’s early in the season, this is a great opportunity to look at who could win their respective conference titles.

Let’s look at three teams we’re betting to win their conference championships.

All odds via DraftKings

College Football Conference Title Futures

Texas Tech (-115)

The Red Raiders are the reigning Big 12 champions and the odds-on favorites to win the conference heading into this season. Even with the Brendan Sorsby drama, it is hard to look at the other teams in the conference and believe they are better than Texas Tech.

The question at quarterback is the team’s biggest concern, but Will Hammond might be ready for the task. If not, they have former Florida State quarterback Tommy Castellanos as insurance. 

They could rely on their run game, with the tandem of Cameron Dickey and J’Koby Williams, who combined for 1,992 rushing yards at 5.5 yards per carry last season.

Texas Tech may not need the offense to be great, thanks to its standout defense. It was among the nation’s top defenses, ranking third in points allowed per game (11.8), third in yards allowed per game (258.3), and sixth in sacks (41) last year.

Texas Tech’s schedule is favorable for a championship run. They play all of their toughest opponents at home, including No. 23 Houston, Arizona State, and Arizona, and they don’t play a road game against a Big 12 team that finished with a winning conference record last year. 

A potential meeting with BYU in the Big 12 Championship could be Texas Tech’s biggest challenge. However, the Red Raiders outscored the Cougars 63-14 in two games last year, including the conference title game.

Oregon (+240)

How often does a program get lucky and bring back a quarterback who was a potential No. 2 overall pick? That’s what the Ducks have in Dante Moore, who decided to forgo the draft and return to Eugene for one more season.

Moore lost his two top pass catchers, but excelled at spreading the ball around last year, with five receivers each getting at least 30 catches and 490 receiving yards, and three of those receivers are returning.

The Ducks’ defense could be the catalyst for capturing a conference title. Oregon head coach Dan Lanning has a defensive background, so it only makes sense that they are excellent on that side of the ball. This might be the best unit Lanning has had since arriving in Oregon, and it could rank among the top defenses in the country. 

They return Matayo Uiagalelei and Teitum Tuioti, who combined for 15.5 sacks last year, on the edges. They also bolstered their secondary by signing former Minnesota DB Koi Perich to pair with Brandon Finney Jr., forming a potential shutdown pass defense.

Their biggest challenge will be the trip to Columbus to face Ohio State. That game could gauge whether they are the best team in the Big Ten.

Georgia (+260)

Georgia is looking to become the first program since Alabama (2014-2016) to win three consecutive SEC titles.

The offense returns QB Gunner Stockton, and the backfield brings back the team’s two leading rushers, Nate Frazier and Chauncey Bowns.

What could stand out is their offensive line. They could be a Joe Moore Award winner for best offensive line, and keeping Stockton safe in the pocket or opening gaps for the running back will be crucial.

The defense looks loaded with some of the conference’s best talent. This could be the top secondary in the conference, featuring All-SEC First Team DBs Ellis Robinson IV and KJ Bolden. The defensive front could also be dangerous with All-SEC Second Team DL Elijah Griffin and LB Raylen Wilson. Head coach Kirby Smart did an excellent job recruiting on defense, with loads of depth, so injuries may not affect them.

Published Updated