Can you believe the 2024 NCAA football regular season is over? That's right, we are now in bowl season, with everyone waiting patiently for the College Football Playoff to get here. There are now 12 teams left in the national title hunt. Who will end up pulling things off? We can't wait to find out. Looking ahead to the opening set of games, the Texas Longhorns are among the favorites for CFP first-round action.
This shouldn't come as a major surprise, as the Longhorns will be hosting Clemson in Austin for a first-round battle. The Longhorns are coming off a heartbreaking loss to Georgia in the SEC Championship Game, a contest a lot of people thought they were going to come out on top of. Instead, the Bulldogs pulled off a win and earned a first-round bye. Texas is motivated to get back on track.
| CFP Round 1 odds |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
| Texas to win | -250 | -250 | -250 |
| Clemson to win | +275 | +275 | +275 |
| Over 48.5 points | -110 | -110 | -110 |
| Under 48.5 points | -110 | -110 | -110 |
“This was a heck of a football game,” Sarkisian said after Texas lost to UGA in the SEC title game. “And they’re, like I said, I have a ton of respect for their program and their team, what Kirby's (Smart) done here for seven, eight years now. So we knew it was going to take 60 minutes. I didn’t know it was going to take 60 minutes plus overtime.”
According to the best online sports betting sites, Texas holds -250 college football betting odds to take down Clemson in the first round. Dabo Swinney and the Tigers have an upset on their mind, but something tells us Texas is going to take care of business and barely break a sweat in doing so. With all of that said, we're no question going with the Longhorns as our pick in this one.
Arch Manning is the highest graded Longhorn on the Texas offense per @PFF_College
He has the 12th highest grade among all of the FBS pic.twitter.com/cxNIdNcoM2
— Nash (@NashTalksTexas) December 9, 2024
Penn State and Notre Dame should also post first-round wins
Elsewhere, we think that Penn State and Notre Dame should also post first-round wins. Penn State and James Franklin are hoping to make a statement too, as they nearly took down No. 1 Oregon in the Big Ten title game. Unfortunately for the Nittany Lions, though, they fell just short with their upset bid. The team has now shifted its focus to taking down SMU in the first round.
SMU lost to Clemson in the ACC title game, but it wasn't enough for the committee to push them out. Alabama fans were hopeful that the Tide would jump SMU, but that wasn't the case. The Mustangs are going to do everything possible to post an upset win, but we just don't see it happening. We're going with Penn State as our pick.
Beyond lucky to be a part of the Penn State Football Family. Still a lot to accomplish this season and I am looking forward to what 2025 has in store for our program! #WeAre
— Coach Andy Kotelnicki (@Kotelnicki) December 9, 2024
As for Notre Dame? Well, ND is going to be hosting Indiana for a fun showdown in South Bend. The Irish are poised to make plenty of noise, while Indiana and Curt Cignetti want to post a monster victory. We don't think that's going to be the case either, we Notre Dame should post a convincing. We're going with Marcus Freeman's players as our selection here. It will be interesting to see if that happens.
Will Tennessee be able to stun Ohio State in Columbus in Round 1?
Last but not least, will Tennessee be able to stun Ohio State in Columbus in Round 1? That's a question that a lot of people have on their minds, as the Vols finished the season 10-2, with only two losses to Arkansas and Georgia. As for Ohio State, the Buckeyes also posted two losses on the season, but people are still talking about their last game of the regular season.
In that game, Ohio State was a heavy favorite to top Michigan, but the Wolverines traveled to Columbus and shocked everyone. By beating OSU, Michigan was able to knock them out of the Big Ten title game. Meanwhile, Tennessee took down Vanderbilt in a fun rivalry game. Head coach Josh Heupel is fired up about his playing having a chance to move on to the next round.
“Certainly excited about being in the playoff, and obviously playing a great program that’s had a ton of success in recent history, but throughout their program history, certainly what they’ve done on the field this year,” Heupel said about taking on Ohio State in Round 1. “Excited that we get an opportunity to play an elite program like that."
According to the best football betting sites, Ohio State holds -150 odds to beat Tennessee, while the Vols have been set at +175. It's not going to be easy for them, but behind the strong arm of Nico Iamaleava, we believe Tennessee is going to move on to the quarterfinals to face No. 1 Oregon. Looking to bet on the action? Check the BetOnline sign up bonus and other offers. The CFP will be great from start to finish.
