College Football Playoff futures: Michigan, Alabama favored

Just under one month from now, the College Football Playoff will take place and fans couldn’t be more excited. While there was one notable snub in unbeaten Florida State, #1 Michigan, #2 Washington, $3 Texas, and #4 Alabama round out the CFP. The Wolverines will face the Crimson Tide in the Rose Bowl in one of the semifinals, while the Huskies and Longhorns face off in the other, also known as the Sugar Bowl. Below, we’ll discuss the CFP teams and their chances of winning it all.

Michigan

Michigan is the #1 ranked team for a reason. They just had a phenomenal season, finishing a perfect 13-0. Despite the Jim Harbaugh drama which saw the head coach suspended for three games amid the sign-stealing investigation, the Wolverines never lost focus. They even won The Game against Ohio State without him. Michigan also just captured the Big Ten title with a dominant 26-0 victory over the Iowa Hawkeyes. This defense is absolutely elite while on offense, JJ McCarthy just had a ridiculous season, completing nearly 75% of his passes for 2,630 yards and 19 touchdowns against four interceptions. He’s got many weapons out wide but perhaps the Wolverines’ best weapon is running back Blake Corum, who ran for over 1,000 yards and a whopping 24 touchdowns. He’ll be an X-factor in the CFP. Michigan is a +180 favorite to win a title at Bodog.

Alabama

There was a lot of controversy over Alabama making the College Football Playoff with a 12-1 over FSU, but the Tide did finish the year very strong. After a Week 2 loss to Quinn Ewers and Texas, Nick Saban’s squad won 11 straight games. That included a last-minute victory over Auburn in the Iron Bowl before shocking Georgia 27-24 in the SEC Championship. Jalen Milroe really came into his own as the season went on, proving to be a versatile weapon. He threw for 23 touchdowns against six picks for a total of 2,718 yards while also rushing for 12 touchdowns on the ground. Bama doesn’t shine in any particular area but overall, they’re just a solid team. The Tide will need to get past Michigan for a shot to play for a national title. Alabama has the second-best odds at most football betting sites.

Texas

Before the 2023 campaign began, Texas was mentioned as a team that could be special thanks to their deep QB room consisting of Ewers, Maalik Murphy, and Arch Manning. Ewers has been the starter and put together a great year, throwing for over 3,000 yards and 21 TDs. He balled out in the Big 12 Championship, throwing for four touchdowns in a blowout of Oklahoma State. That win gave them a shot at the CFP and the Longhorns narrowly sneaked in with a 12-1 record. Texas ranks 16th in the nation in points and 11th in total yards. They will face Washington in the semifinals.

Washington

The Huskies were legit in 23’ with Michael Penix Jr at the helm. While he probably wont end up winning the Heisman, he’s definitely in consideration. The quarterback led Washington a perfect 13-0 record and a win over Bo Nix and the Oregon Ducks in the Pac-12 Championship. This team is top 20 in several major offensive categories and scored 37.7 points per game. Rome Odunze is Penix Jr’s favorite target downfield. He had 81 receptions for 13 touchdowns and 1,428 yards this year. The Huskies have the goods to win it all, but first, they must get past Texas.