The Texas Longhorns (+300) lead betting odds to win the College Football Playoff National Championship as the quarterfinals begin. The eight remaining teams compete across four marquee bowl games, starting with tonight's Fiesta Bowl.

Current Championship Odds:

• Texas Longhorns: +300
• Ohio State: +350
• Oregon: +450
• Georgia/Penn State: +525
• Notre Dame: +650
• Arizona State/Boise State: +6600

Quarterfinal Matchups:

• Fiesta Bowl: #3 Boise State vs. #6 Penn State (-11)
• Peach Bowl: #5 Texas (-12.5) vs. #4 Arizona State
• Rose Bowl: #8 Ohio State (-2.5) vs. #1 Oregon
• Sugar Bowl: #7 Notre Dame vs. #2 Georgia (-1.5)

Betting Trends:

• Ohio State leads ticket volume (13%) and handle (16%)
• Texas follows with 10% of tickets and 13% of handle
• Penn State drawing 62% of Fiesta Bowl bets
• Buckeyes attracting 66% of Rose Bowl action
• Georgia getting 61% of Sugar Bowl money despite QB change

Key Storyline: Boise State's Ashton Jeanty (Heisman runner-up) faces Penn State's elite defense led by NFL prospect Abdul Carter. Jeanty's rushing yards over/under is set at 131.5, well below his 192-yard season average. He's favored (-250) to score a touchdown.

The playoff structure gives automatic byes to conference champions, benefiting Boise State (Mountain West) and Arizona State (Big 12) despite competing in weaker conferences. Changes are expected next year to award byes based on overall ranking instead.

Related Articles

Previous Articles