The Texas Longhorns’ average National Championship odds have shortened to +2300
Texas is gaining ground on its Big 12 rival Oklahoma, whose average odds haven’t moved in well over a month
Are the Longhorns a good bet to win the 2020 National Championship?
Texas football is back folks! Or at least that’s what online sportsbooks want you to believe. The Longhorns are fresh off their first 10-win season in a decade, and are generating plenty of buzz both in the media and the college football futures market.
Odds to Win 2020 CFP National Championship
| Team | 2020 CFP National Championship Odds |
|---|---|
| Alabama Crimson Tide | +205 |
| Clemson Tigers | +240 |
| Georgia Bulldogs | +700 |
| Ohio State Buckeyes | +850 |
| Oklahoma Sooners | +1400 |
| Michigan Wolverines | +1800 |
| Texas Longhorns | +2300 |
| Florida Gators | +2600 |
| LSU Tigers | +2600 |
| Oregon Ducks | +2600 |
*Odds taken on 06/19/19
Their average National Championship odds have shortened to +2300 (from +2500 in May), and while bookmakers appear to be growing bullish on this Texas team, they haven’t touched the odds of the Big 12 favorite, Oklahoma, in well over a month.
Sam Ehlinger is the Catalyst for the Longhorns Hype
Texas finally has a bonafide stud at the quarterback position. Sam Ehlinger is fresh off a sophomore season that was statistically superior to anything Colt McCoy or Vince Young accomplished at that age, and most believe he’ll be even better in 2019.
The fact is no matter how prolific Texas’ offense is in 2019, they’re going to have a very difficult time keeping other elite teams out of the endzone.
The Longhorns Defense Will be Their Downfall
Texas will be breaking in eight new defensive starters this season, including an entirely new defensive line from a season ago. Growing pains will be inevitable, especially early on, and one slip up could derail any shot they might have at reaching the College Football Playoff.
Two months ago, ESPN’s Playoff Predictor gave the Longhorns less than a 1-percent chance to make the Playoff, while assigning the Sooners a 35-percent chance to return for a third consecutive season. Oklahoma is rated higher in the early season polls, and has the firepower to pick apart the Texas defense at every level.
Oklahoma is the Big 12 Team to Back
If you feel the need to back a Big 12 team to win the National Championship, sticking with a proven commodity like the Sooners makes the most sense.
THE No. 1 program in the modern era.#OneOklahoma☝️ #ChampU? #OUDNA pic.twitter.com/xrvKBakWNZ
— Oklahoma Football (@OU_Football) June 19, 2019
The Longhorns may be a team on the rise, but they’ll likely be more dangerous in 2020 assuming Ehlinger returns for his senior year and all the newcomers have a full season to mature. Personally, I don’t believe any Big 12 team can hang with Clemson or Alabama, and the projection systems seem to agree.
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Both the Tigers and Crimson Tide rate top-four in future QB, offense, and defense rankings, while Texas is outside the top-five in all three categories and Oklahoma’s defense isn’t even ranked.