Handicappers, oddsmakers and sportsbook managers had their crystal balls out early last week and have already predicted the outcome of the college football season now going into its 4th week of action.
There is a universal assumption that the Alabama Crimson Tide will be there at the end… but who they will be playing is still an open subject. Actually, Alabama is not exactly a shoe in for the championship game. They still have some tough games ahead including Ole Miss, LSU and Auburn.
Front runners to take on the Tide include the Oregon Ducks and Urban Meyer’s Ohio State team. The Golden Nugget in Las Vegas likes the Ducks and has already opened wagering on the potential matchup showing Alabama as a 3 point favorite at -120 at their betting window downtown.
Other oddsmakers are holding back and will probably make Alabama an even bigger favorite than the Golden Nugget has them for now. The thinking is that Oregon has not really played anyone as yet to give the competition. However, the Ducks will still have to face number 5 Stanford and number 23 UCLA and beat them, even to make it to the championship game.
Factoring in strength of schedule, there are some oddsmakers who see the potential point spread of a game between Oregon and Alabama to go to -7 for the Tide. 2.5 to 3 of those points given on the basis of an obvious coaching mismatch between Alabama’s Nick Saban and Oregon’s Mark Helfrich who is in his rookie year with the Ducks after the departure of Chip Kelly for Philadelphia.
The big books in Nevada are also taking action of the Heisman Trophy race.
After the big game between Alabama & Texas A&M was over… after all the big talk and bluster Johnny Football still has shorter odds to win the Heisman Trophy again this year. This football season may well turn out not to be about who won the battle but who won the war. As they say down south, ‘It ain’t over yet.’
Anyway, the guy out in Oregon named Marcus Mariota has moved quietly into first place in the competition while the two SEC guys bantered back and forth. It’s not by much Mariota is listed at 9-to-2 this week while Johnny Manziel is only a half point back at 5-to-1 and then comes Alabama’s AJ McCarron who is tied with Teddy Bridgewater of Louisville at 6-to-1. Heisman newcomer Jameis Winston is close on their heels at 9-to-1.
