2019 National Championship Betting Preview: Dark Horses

We have barely had time to recover after a scintillating National Championship Game in college football, but it’s already time to start thinking about who might hoist the trophy in 2019. The Alabama Crimson Tide are going to be losing a lot of players to the draft, but the performance of their freshman in the big game showed that they are probably going to be 2019 National Championship betting favorites. The same rules apply for the Georgia Bulldogs, as they have an early signing class that is #1 in the nation, which means that they are going to be just fine. The question now is which of the other teams outside of the usual top 4 or 5 might be worth a look next season. Let’s look at the NCAAF odds of a few teams that might be able to upset the apple cart in 2019.

2019 National Championship Betting Preview: Dark Horses

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Miami Hurricanes

• 2019 National Championship Betting Odds: 25/1

It was an outstanding year for Miami in just the second season in the Mark Richt era. This was a team that relied heavily on defense, and while they were in the playoff hunt until the very end, you always got the sense that they were still a few offensive playmakers away from really being able to contend. It is the third year under a new head coaching regime that the pieces really start to fall into place, which means that the Hurricanes might be back with a vengeance next season. Having N’Kosi Perry at the QB spot next season should help, and we will get a good idea of what this team is about in Week 1, as they will open up against the LSU Tigers.

Auburn Tigers

• 2019 National Championship Betting Odds: 25/1

This is a team that was close to being great this season, as they had the distinction of beating the #1 team in the nation twice in the span of 3 weeks. The Tigers came up a little short in the SEC Championship game against Georgia, but they served notice that they are going to be a force to be reckoned with moving forward. They have a solid QB in Jason Stidham, and we can expect their running game to be as solid as ever. The Tigers do have a brutal schedule to contend with, including road trips to Georgia and Alabama next season. If they can get through those games unscathed, look out.

South Carolina Gamecocks

• 2019 National Championship Betting Odds: 200/1

This definitely falls under the dark horse category, but with 9 wins this past season, the Gamecocks took a massive leap forward. Let’s not forget that they had one of the toughest schedules in all of college football and that they capped off their season with a dominating win over the Michigan Wolverines in the Outback Bowl. They did have some issues on the offensive side of the football, but that has been addressed with the hiring of a new offensive coordinator who is sure to get the most out of talented QB Jake Bentley.

Texas Longhorns

• 2019 National Championship Betting Odds: 25/1

Of the Power 5 conferences in college football, it is the Big 12 that may be the one poised for the most dramatic shift in power next season. Baker Mayfield moving onto the pros after a great college career in Oklahoma is going to hurt the Sooners, and the Oklahoma State Cowboys are also going to need to learn to adjust to life with a new QB. That could very well leave a door open at the top, which may allow the Texas Longhorns to sneak into first. The Longhorns are defensively very solid and may see their great recruiting classes of the last two seasons finally start to bear fruit.

The Entire Field

• Alabama: 5/2
• Clemson: 6/1
• Ohio State: 8/1
• Georgia: 8/1
• Michigan: 10/1
• Penn State: 12/1
• Oklahoma: 18/1
• Michigan State: 25/1
• Texas: 25/1
• Miami: 25/1
• Wisconsin: 25/1
• Auburn: 25/1
• Washington: 30/1
• LSU: 30/1
• USC: 40/1
• Virginia Tech: 40/1
• Florida State: 40/1
• Notre Dame: 40/1
• West Virginia: 40/1
• Stanford: 40/1
• Texas A&M: 50/1
• Florida: 60/1
• TCU: 60/1
• Oregon: 60/1
• Arizona: 100/1
• Oklahoma State: 100/1
• UCLA: 100/1
• Utah: 100/1
• Missouri: 100/1
• Mississippi State: 100/1
• Boise State: 100/1
• North Carolina State: 100/1
• Wake Forest: 100/1
• Kansas State: 100/1
• South Carolina: 200/1
• Iowa State: 200/1
• Northwestern: 200/1
• Purdue: 200/1
• Iowa: 200/1
• Nebraska: 200/1
• Minnesota: 200/1
• Washington State: 200/1
• Central Florida: 200/1
• Louisville: 200/1
• Colorado: 300/1
• Memphis: 300/1
• Syracuse: 300/1
• Georgia Tech: 500/1
• Pittsburgh: 500/1
• South Florida: 500/1
• Houston: 500/1
• Boston College: 500/1
• Virginia: 500/1
• Duke: 500/1
• North Carolina: 500/1
• Texas Tech: 500/1
• Arizona State: 500/1
• Kentucky: 500/1
• Vanderbilt: 500/1
• Tennessee: 500/1
• Ole Miss: 500/1
• Arkansas: 500/1
• San Diego State: 500/1
• Colorado State: 500/1
• Baylor: 500/1
• Indiana: 500/1
• Maryland: 500/1
• California: 500/1
• Florida Atlantic: 500/1
• BYU: 500/1
• Fresno State: 1000/1
• Kansas: 1000/1
• Rutgers: 1000/1
• Illinois: 1000/1
• Oregon State: 1000/1
• UNLV: 9999/1
• Appalachian State: 9999/1
• Nevada: 9999/1