As expected, Vegas favors Alabama to win another national championship next year

By Case Keefer (contact)

Tuesday, Jan. 8, 2013 | 3 p.m.

With Alabama putting the finishing touches on its 42-14 blowout over Notre Dame in Monday night’s BCS National Championship, conversation in the broadcast booth inevitably changed from the game to next year’s college football season.

Commentators Brent Musburger and Kirk Herbstreit opined that Alabama would be the favorite to win its fourth title in five years. Vegas oddsmakers showed they were in agreement Tuesday afternoon.

The LVH Superbook released its odds to win the 2014 college football national championship with Alabama way ahead of the competition. The Crimson Tide opened at 5-to-2 to repeat as national champions.

The teams that finished second and third in the final AP poll, Oregon and Ohio State, come in right behind at 5-to-1 and 6-to-1, respectively. The symmetry between the polls and the odds ends there.

Notre Dame, which finished fourth in the AP poll, is behind 11 teams to win next year’s national championship, including six from the SEC. The Irish are 30-to-1, slightly below where they were at 50-to-1 before this season.

Georgia, Texas A&M and South Carolina are 12-to-1. LSU is 15-to-1. Florida is 20-to-1.

Each of the top six teams is expected to return their quarterbacks. That group includes the Heisman Trophy winner, Texas A&M’s Johnny Manziel, and the top two players in passing efficiency, Alabama’s A.J. McCarron and Georgia’s Aaron Murray.

The Crimson Tide brings back as many as 13 starters, including its top five receivers and top six running backs pending National Championship MVP Eddie Lacy’s decision on whether to declare for the NFL Draft.

There’s no doubt Alabama is the team to beat.

Find the complete odds to win the 2014 BCS National Championship below.

Alabama — 5-to-2

Oregon — 5-to-1

Ohio State — 6-to-1

Georgia — 12-to-1

Texas A&M — 12-to-1

South Carolina — 12-to-1

LSU — 15-to-1

Florida — 20-to-1

Oklahoma State — 20-to-1

Stanford — 20-to-1

Louisville — 20-to-1

Notre Dame — 30-to-1

Clemson — 30-to-1

Texas — 30-to-1

Florida State — 40-to-1

Oklahoma — 40-to-1

USC — 60-to-1

UCLA — 60-to-1

Oregon State — 100-to-1

Arizona State — 100-to-1

Boise State — 100-to-1

Nebraska — 100-to-1

Michigan State — 100-to-1

TCU — 100-to-1

Wisconsin — 100-to-1

Northwestern — 100-to-1

Washington — 100-to-1

BYU — 200-to-1

Cincinnati — 200-to-1

Baylor — 300-to-1

North Carolina — 300-to-1

Fresno State — 300-to-1

Kansas State — 300-to-1

Texas Tech — 500-to-1

Arizona — 500-to-1

Utah — 500-to-1

Arkansas — 500-to-1

Vanderbilt — 500-to-1

Missouri — 500-to-1

Georgia Tech — 500-to-1

West Virginia — 500-to-1

Ole Miss — 1000-to-1

Auburn — 1000-to-1

Tennessee — 1000-to-1

North Carolina State — 1000-to-1

Mississippi State — 1000-to-1

Iowa — 1000-to-1

Field — 50-to-1

Case Keefer can be reached at 948-2790 or

[email protected]. Follow Case on Twitter at twitter.com/casekeefer.