The Japan Times - Notre Dame, LSU and Utah Selected at Different Levels of College Football Title Market

Sportsbooks opened the 2026 college football season with seven teams at the front of the national-championship market. Bet365 listed Ohio State and Notre Dame as co-favorites at +600, followed by Indiana, Texas and Oregon at +750, Georgia at +850 and Miami at 11-1.

LSU and Texas A&M were each priced at 18-1, with Texas Tech at 20-1. Alabama stood at 22-1, while Ole Miss and Oklahoma were 25-1. They were the only other programs shorter than 30-1.

The assessment selected Notre Dame at +650 with BetMGM as the preferred team near the top. The main advantage identified was a less punishing schedule than the routes facing leading teams in the Southeastern and Big Ten conferences. Under the 12-team playoff format, consistent wins could put Marcus Freeman’s team in position for another long postseason run.

Notre Dame also brings a quarterback considered a Heisman Trophy contender, depth at its skill positions and a defense expected to rank among the strongest in the country. Those factors support the view that the Fighting Irish could remain near the shortest championship price throughout the season, although the current return already reflects their status.

LSU was the mid-priced selection, quoted at 20-1 by Fanatics. The SEC schedule is difficult, but the analysis argued that the conference does not have an overwhelming favorite. Georgia remains the strongest team on paper but has struggled in some recent games against elite opponents.

Lane Kiffin’s arrival changed expectations in Baton Rouge, while defensive coordinator Blake Baker had already developed LSU into a stronger defensive team. Combining that defense with an offense led by Kiffin was presented as the principal case for the Tigers.

LSU’s early schedule will provide a rapid test. The Tigers open against Clemson, visit Kiffin’s former team Ole Miss in Week 3 and play Texas A&M in Week 4. Winning those games could cause the 20-1 price to contract significantly.

Utah was the long-shot selection at 120-1 with Fanatics. The change from longtime coach Kyle Whittingham, who left for Michigan, creates uncertainty. His former assistant Morgan Scalley succeeds him, and the program may retain much of the culture built under Whittingham.

The long-shot comparison cited Indiana, which began the previous season at 100-1, as evidence that a team well down the initial market can still become a contender. That precedent does not reduce Utah’s coaching-transition risk, but it explains the decision to include one selection far outside the group of established favorites.

Quarterback Devon Dampier returns and the early schedule is comparatively favorable. Utah’s most difficult projected game does not arrive until Week 11 against BYU. The Utes were expected to be favored in their first eight contests, creating a possible route to the Big 12 Championship if they also win the rivalry game known as the Holy War. The high price reflects the substantial uncertainty around that scenario.

S.Fujimoto--JT