With spring college football games in high gear, there’s still one lingering item leftover from the previous year.
Alabama is a massive favorite to not only be in the title game again, but to win it.
The Crimson Tide have odds of +250 to win the title, far outdistancing Florida State, Ohio State and USC at +750, who own the second-best odds. There’s zero reason to put any futures money on Alabama at the moment based on the Crimson Tide’s general rule to lose at least one game during the regular season, meaning that ridiculous number should be lowered at some point during the regular season.
There’s a really good chance that Alabama will be back in the Final Four, but why would you want to take the favorite? Here are three other teams that shouldn’t get your interest at the moment in 2017 college football futures.
Louisville Cardinals +2200
Louisville stumbled down the stretch last season and I anticipate that will carry over into 2017. Lamar Jackson may have won the Heisman trophy, but toward the end of the season, where teams adjusted to his abilities, he didn’t find the same windows and room to run that was available earlier in the season.
The Cardinals dropped their final three games, and Jackson was most of the reason. His once dynamic ability to score touchdowns evaporated, with only six touchdowns in his final four games. If he’s not scoring, then the Cardinals can’t get into the end zone. That’s a recipe for disaster for a team attempting to win a title. The Cardinals own the sixth-best odds to win the title. They should be faded right away.
Auburn Tigers +2200
Maybe it’s the number…or maybe it’s the lack of depth currently on tap for the 2017 college football season.
I was all over the Tigers last season, and with good reason. They made a New Year’s Day bowl and were a pretty good option throughout the season. But there’s still some struggles happening in Auburn that give me pause to back them for another year.
A team that once could score at will suddenly has games where it can’t move the ball. That’s alarming, even with an improved defense. I don’t see the Tigers making it through an SEC schedule unscathed, or even with one loss. The offense isn’t consistent enough anymore and the defense isn’t at a level that can overcome a bad offensive day.
Michigan Wolverines +1200
Michigan is going to be good. But so is pretty much everyone else in the Big 10 East. The reemergence of Penn State is bad news for the Wolverines. Penn State, Michigan and Ohio State are all toward the top in college football futures, and it’s likely only one of them will advance to the Final Four.
The Wolverines are the odd team out based on uncertainty in the quarterback position. Wilton Speight is coming back for another year under center, but he doesn’t register enough momentum for me to get excited about his prospects. The Wolverines will compete again, but with Ohio State and Penn State also at the top, along with a Michigan State team that has to be better than last year, the Wolverines are in trouble.
