It’s that magical time of the year in online betting, as
football is finally back. The NCAA season kicks off tonight as the major
contenders begin their quests for undefeated seasons and a possible BCS
Championship. Who are the top five candidates to run the table?
Utah Utes
NCAA football odds to go undefeated: +1000
Any time a team goes undefeated – which the Utes
did last year – they warrant consideration to do it again the following year.
However, it’s important to remember that this is college football, not the NFL;
huge turnover can turn a contender into a pretender in a single offseason. So
many pieces of what made Utah go last year are gone. From last year’s team,
quarterback Brian Johnson, not to mention his top targets, Freddie Brown, Brent
Casteel and Bradon Godfrey, is out. With so few offensive starters returning,
Utah is a major long shot to go undefeated again.
Ohio State
Buckeyes
NCAA football odds to go undefeated: +800
Even without Beanie Wells taking the rock, Ohio
State could be a force this season. Terrelle Pryor, a darkhorse Heisman Trophy
candidate, is a duel-threat at quarterback, capable of gunslinging or beating
defenders with his feet. If Ohio state can beat USC at home early in the year
and overcome a tough road game at Penn State late in the year, they could run
the table. It also helps that the Buckeyes have no back-to-back road games.
TCU Horned
Frogs
NCAA football odds to go undefeated: +800
TCU, not Utah, is the real candidate to go
undefeated in the MWC. While it’s true that their defensive rank last season
(first in the nation) was misleading, we have to think about why the Horned Frogs got that rank. They
got it playing in a weak conference and, last time I checked, they still play
in that conference. They should keep teams off the board even after losing
several defensive starters and the offense, led by standout receiver Jimmy
Young, is solid.
Florida
Gators
NCAA football odds to go undefeated: +400
Everyone’s hot pick to win the BCS Championship,
the Gators are obviously a threat to win every game this season. Any team with
Tim Tebow under center has a shot to repeat as national champs and the “D”
should hang with top offenses thanks to Brandon Spikes’ decision to return. A
road game at LSU is a hurdle to overcome but the Gators have the talent to pull
out a win. Many betting
services think the Gators have the best shot to go undefeated in 2009.
USC Trojans
NCAA football odds to go undefeated: +350
As the old saying goes, USC doesn’t rebuild; it
reloads. Whenever starters depart for the NFL, the Trojans usher in new top
prospects and watch them flourish. The defense lost several key starters but
should recover. The offense lost Mark Sanchez but still returns nine of 11
starters from a year ago, including dynamic running back Joe McKnight. The road
isn’t ridiculously easy, with four road games against ranked teams on the
schedule, but the Trojans are decent sports picks to go undefeated if they shock Ohio State
on the road next weekend.