ATLANTA, GA – SEPTEMBER 03: Ladd McConkey #84 of the Georgia Bulldogs scores a touchdown during the … [+]
The 2023 college football season kicks off Saturday, Aug. 26 with seven games followed by the first full weekend of 45 games Aug. 31 through Labor Day on Monday, Sept. 4. The betting lines on those games have been out for months, and leading online sportsbooks are taking action and adjusting odds. Yesterday, the Associated Press released the AP Top-25 rankings, and no surprise the defending national champion Georgia Bulldogs start the season ranked No. 1.
The Associated Press selects voters for the AP Poll from sports reporters around the country who cover college football. The AP poll is updated weekly, and I chip-in a college football Top-25 betting report here weekly.
More college football news and team schedules
The college football coaches poll came out last week and had Alabama and Ohio State flipping positions at No. 3 and No. 4, and Tennessee up to No. 10. The coaches poll is conducted weekly throughout the regular season using a panel of 63 head coaches at Football Bowl Subdivision schools.
College Football 2023 Preseason AP Top 25
Each teams odds to win the national championship are provided by FanDuel sportsbook, along with over/under season win totals.
Defending national champion Georgia starts the season as the prohibitive favorite to win the national title for a third consecutive season. The Bulldogs are +220 (or just better than 2/1) with a season win total of 11.5. Only an undefeated regular season cashes for ‘over’ bettors.
- Georgia (+220) / 11.5
- Michigan (+850) / 10.5
- Ohio State (+700) / 10.5
- Alabama (+600) / 10.5
- LSU (+1200) / 9.5
- USC (+1600) / 10
- Penn State (+2000) / 9.5
- Florida State (+2500) / 10
- Clemson (+1600) / 10
- Washington (+4000) / 9.5
- Texas (+2500) / 9.5
- Tennessee (+3000) / 9.5
- Notre Dame (+3000) / 8.5
- Utah (+6000) / 8.5
- Oregon (+4000) / 9.5
- Kansas State (+15000) / 8.5
- TCU (+20000) / 7.5
- Oregon State (+20000) – 8.5
- Wisconsin (+7000) / 8.5
- Oklahoma (+6500) / 9.5
- North Carolina (+12000) / 8
- Ole Miss (+10000) / 7.5
- Texas A&M (+6000) / 8
- Tulane (+25000) / 9.5
- Iowa (+15000) / 8
OTHERS RECEIVING VOTES (season wins in parentheses):
Texas Tech (7.5), South Carolina (6), UCLA (8.5), UTSA (8), Arkansas (6.5), Boise State (8), Pittsburgh (7), Kentucky (7), Troy (8.5), Louisville (8), Auburn (7), Minnesota (7), Duke (6), Toledo (9), Mississippi State (6), Florida (5.5), Baylor (7), Illinois 6.5), Coastal Carolina (7.5), NC State (7), South Alabama (8.5), James Madison (8), Liberty (9).
Before you get too excited about betting on these Top-25 teams to win more games, a conference title or the opportunitiy to play for the national championship, understand that the past two seasons have been particularly volatile. Both years set a record for most preseason ranked teams to fall out of the Top 25 by the end of the season. Last year 15 teams fell out of the Top-25 including three preseason top-10 teams with Texas A&M, Oklahoma and Baylor also failing to even post a winning record. In 2021, there were 14 ranked teams that fell out of the Top-25 by the end of the season.
What to watch for on Top 25 teams in September
Fans interested in betting can take advantage of the many sportsbook promotions offered which often include risk-free bets and bonuses for signing up. It’s never been easier to get in the game, log-in to your mobile and online accounts and place a bet.
Key Week 1 Contests and Most Bet Games
Betting lines and college football odds from FanDuel Sportsbook refresh periodically and are subject to change, including on props and live betting. Games Aug. 31-Sept. 4.
- Florida at No. 14 Utah (-7.5)
- Colorado at No. 17. TCU (-20.5)
- Boise State at No. 10 Washington (-15.5)
- No. 3 Ohio State (-28.5) at Indiana
- South Carolina vs No. 21 North Carolina (-2.5) – Neutral field in Charlotte
- No. 5 LSU (-2.5) vs No. 8 Florida State – Neutral field in Orlando
- No. 9 Clemson (-12.5) at Duke
South Carolina va North Carolina 2023 NCAA Football kickoff. (Icon Sportswire via AP Images)
Other Top-25 and Key Games in September
Sept. 9
- Texas at Alabama (-7)
- Texas A&M (-6.5) at Miami
- Utah at Baylor
- Ole Miss at Tulane
Sept. 16
- South Carolina at Georgia (-24)
- Tennessee (-7.5) at Florida
- LSU (-9) at Mississippi State
Sept 23
- Ohio State (-7) at Notre Dame
- Ole Miss at Alabama (-15.5)
- Arkansas at LSU (-13.5)
- Florida State at Clemson (-3)
- Texas (-8) at Baylor
- UCLA at Utah (-8)
- Iowa at Penn State
Sept. 30
- Georgia (-18.5) at Auburn
- LSU (-4.5) at Ole Miss
- South Carolina at Tennessee (-13)
- Texas A&M (-4) vs Arkansas (neutral, Arlington)
The College Football AP Top 25 is certain to change and see some surprises as teams move through the college football season. Recall last season that TCU made the four-team college football playoff and played for the national championship. The Horned Frogs were not ranked in the 2022 AP Top 25 ahead of Week 1 and did not receive any votes in the AP Top 25 poll.
Time to kickoff the 2023 college football season and the last year of the four-team College Football Playoff. Next year the college football landscape changes dramatically with a new 12-team college football playoff and more conference realignment.
You can bet on it.