Predicting the future: odds to win the 2014 BCS

BCS bowls feel like they’re months away. Johnny Football has received his coronation into football royalty and we’re already talking about the chances of him winning a 2nd time. Names like Bielema, Stoops, Malzahn, and Jones now claim ownership for some of the SEC’s biggest reclamation projects.  Coach Petrino has found work as new head man of the He’ll Top Hers after Willie Taggart’s departure for USF. Rest assured college football fans of programs not named Notre Dame or Alabama, it’s never too early to look towards next year with the unveiling of my odds to win the 2014 national championship.

From my time as an oddsmaker at Caesars Palace, establishing futures markets posed a challenge. Where will the longshots come from? What team can take the next step forward? Who are the public sides that fans blinded by optimism will bet regardless of price?  All these questions swirl annually but the reality is outside of the usual suspects, there’s no way to tell who comes flying out of the gates at 10-0 like the Irish this year (opened 40-1) or Auburn 2 years ago (opened 150-1) to catch the sportsbooks by surprise.

I know these aren’t the exact prices that will be featured on betting boards the first week in January however they’ll give you a baseline of what to expect.  Keep in mind prices assume elite pro prospects will forego their senior seasons for dreams of NFL glory.  If Aaron Murray pulls a Matt Barkley and comes back to school, I’ll promise you the Dawgs won’t be available at 20-1  For fans wondering why their team might not be listed, words can’t save you from your own delusions of grandeur.  Go ahead, take your shots, snicker, call me names. Do whatever makes you feel better but this is what my big board looks like headed into next season.

The one team that should be included here is the Miami Hurricanes but given their self imposed bowl ban and possible sanctions, they’ve been omitted.

*When odds are opened at the various sportsbooks both here in Vegas and offshore, we’ll be among the first to publish on these same OKTC pages.