The first round of the newly expanded College Football Playoff is in the books with Notre Dame, Penn State, Texas and Ohio State advancing to the quarterfinals of the 12-team tournament.
Before the first round began, top-seed and undefeated Oregon was the favorite to win the title at +325 odds. But sportsbooks, or at least our friends at BetMGM, were impressed with the way that fifth-seeded Texas stomped ACC champ Clemson in the first round, convincingly winning, 38-24, even without Isaiah Bond.
Heading into the quarterfinals, the Longhorns are the betting favorites to win the national championship now at +300 odds. Oregon is closely behind Texas at +300, while Ohio State checks in at +400, and Penn State is +450.
Here are the full odds:
The quarterfinals of the College Football Playoff marks games moving from on-campus venues and to neutral site locations. Texas and Arizona State will face off in the Peach Bowl, Oregon takes on Ohio State in the Rose Bowl, Penn State and Boise State clash in the Fiesta Bowl and Georgia meets Notre Dame in the Sugar Bowl. The Nittany Lions and Broncos will play on New Year’s Eve, while the other three games will kick off on New Year’s Day.
After Notre Dame’s impressive beatdown of Indiana in the first round, the Bulldogs are favored over the Irish by just 1.5 points. That narrow line may also be due to Georgia quarterback Carson Beck being injured.
