College Football Playoff Odds: Will Florida State Seminoles or Texas Longhorns Make Playoff?
College Football Playoff Odds: Will Florida State Seminoles or Texas Longhorns Make Playoff?
The College Football Playoff race is down to the final week before the grand reveal, and there are several teams trying to make their case for the last spots.
The Florida State Seminoles have fought through adversity, and just wrapped up a perfect regular season. They were recently docked down to the fifth spot in the CFP rankings, despite their undefeated record.
When their quarterback, Jordan Travis, went down in Week 12, the fate of their season hung in the balance. Tate Rodemaker stepped up for the Seminoles when they needed it the most, and has led them to two critical victories.
Meanwhile, the Texas Longhorns are back in seventh ahead of the Big 12 Championship, but are looking to climb into the top four with a big win over the Oklahoma State Cowboys. They have one loss on their resume, but have a heavily-weighted win over Alabama that gives them a boost.
Will FSU make it back to their first playoff since the debut season in 2014, or will the Longhorns steal their spot and make it to their first College Football Playoff before the field expands in 2024? Let's take a look at the latest odds ahead Championship Saturday.
College Football Playoff Odds
| Team | Odds | Implied Probability |
|---|---|---|
| Michigan Wolverines | -6000 | 98.4% |
| Georgia Bulldogs | -520 | 83.9% |
| Oregon Ducks | -280 | 73.7% |
| Florida State Seminoles | -150 | 60% |
| Texas Longhorns | +145 | 40.8% |
| Alabama Crimson Tide | +175 | 36.4% |
| Washington Huskies | +250 | 28.6% |
| Ohio State Buckeyes | +1600 | 5.9% |
College Football Playoff Odds - Texas Still Back at +145
The Texas Longhorns are looking to make their debut in the College Football Playoff, one year before it morphs into a 12-team format. Texas is simultaneously seeking their first Big 12 Championship since 2009, and will take on the Oklahoma State Cowboys from AT&T Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
The Longhorns are 14-point favorites over the Cowboys on Saturday, and have been hitting their stride as of late. They are fresh off a blowout win over Texas Tech, and will look to translate that momentum to Cowboys stadium this weekend.
Style points will be huge for the Longhorns, as they attempt to put on a show for the committee and prove they are deserving. While they can't take the win for granted, they will be trying to amass as many points as possible and run up the score if in position to do so.
If Texas is able to handle business, they will be anxiously awaiting the result of the Louisville vs. Florida State game on Saturday night in Charlotte. The Longhorns will be hoping that FSU falls to the Cardinals, which will all but guarantee them the fourth spot. The alternative is for the committee to prioritize their big wins and status as a top-four team, and give them the nod over the banged-up Seminoles, despite the better record.
College Football Playoff Odds - Florida State Rises to -150
Florida State is still clinging onto a chance to make the College Football Playoff, surviving a road scare against the Florida Gators last weekend.
These -150 odds are essentially the same as their odds to beat Louisville in the ACC Championship. As the dust settles from last weekend, it has become more apparent that Florida State is in a "win, and they're in" position.
We will await the playoff committee rankings on Tuesday night, but it is likely to be Georgia and Michigan in the top two spots, with Washington taking third, and FSU holding strong in the fourth spot.
Then in the final rankings next week, the top two would remain the same if Georgia can take care of business against Alabama. The Oregon/Washington winner would grab third, and FSU and Texas would be duking it out for the fourth spot if they both won.
There is a chance that Texas could leapfrog the Seminoles in the event of a blowout victory, even if FSU defeats Louisville in a close one. The best way for the Seminoles to solidify their 60% chance of making the playoff would be by manhandling the Cardinals on both sides of the ball.
A dominating victory would all but guarantee them their playoff spot despite rolling with a backup quarterback. They will need the defense to step up and cause turnovers on Saturday night, and prevent Jack Plummer and the Cardinals from putting up points.
The result of the Texas game will be known by the time the Seminoles suit up from Bank of America Stadium, and if the Longhorns have already won by multiple touchdowns, the pressure will be squarely on FSU and backup QB Tate Rodemaker.
College Football Odds
Peter is a sports writer focused on coverage and analysis of college football and basketball, as well as the NFL and other major sports. A graduate of the University of Missouri School of Journalism, he has been writing sports articles for over 8 years.
After working for ClutchPoints, Peter joined OddsChecker in 2023. He is a New York sports superfan and is fluent in the sports betting industry.