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College Football Odds and Predictions for Top Games of Season

by Devon Rymarchuk - 6/15/2022

College football odds and predictions for Top Games of the season Stetson Bennett Georgia Bulldogs

It is never too early to start talking about college football. After Georgia absolutely steamrolled the 2022 College Football Playoff and went onto their first National Championship since 1980, they will be looking to defend their title in a tight SEC. With many coaching changes, new portal rules, and recruits committing across the nation, 2022 will not disappointment as the 131 FBS teams prepare for Week 1.

Doc’s Sports offers college football expert picks for every game on our college football predictions page.

It is difficult to preview all the teams in college football, but what most college football fans get excited for are marquee matchups and rivalries. Let’s look at some of the top College Football games this year, with an analysis and way too early spread to boot. The pre-season top 10 consists of five different conference representations, with three being from the Big 12 and Big Ten. Georgia starts as the No. 1 team in the nation as no surprise, and the most notable team out of the top 10 is Clemson, which will be looking to return to the CFP for the first time since 2019.

Top 25 Pre-Season Rankings

1. Georgia Bulldogs SEC

2. Alabama Crimson Tide SEC

3. Michigan Wolverines Big Ten

4. Cincinnati Bearcats AAC

5. Baylor Bears Big 12

6. Ohio State Buckeyes Big Ten

7. Oklahoma State Cowboys Big 12

8. Notre Dame Fighting Irish Ind

9. Michigan State Spartans Big Ten

10. Oklahoma Sooners Big 12

Oregon at Georgia (Sept. 3)

Odds: Oregon +17.5, Georgia -17.5

Georgia has its toughest test of the Bulldogs 2022 season in their first week back after winning a National Championship. Dan Lanning’s first game as Oregon head coach comes against the very team he helped lead to a title in January. The former Georgia defensive coordinator will try to do something his predecessors at Oregon have been unable to accomplish …… beat a top-tier team from the SEC. The Ducks are a combined 0-6 against Auburn, Georgia and LSU. Georgia is losing a lot of production from last season's National Championship-winning team, especially on the defensive side of the ball. That, in addition to nine returning starters on offense, including quarterback Stetson Bennett and star tight end Brock Bowers, and the Bulldogs are easy favorites. Expect this game to be a lot closer than the line predicts.

Notre Dame at Ohio State (Sept. 3)

Odds: Notre Dame +13.5, Ohio State -13.5

A primetime showdown will kick off the College Football season in Columbus on September 3. It’s incredible Notre Dame and Ohio State have met only six times in college football history. The seventh meeting will be one of the marquee games of the 2022 College Football season. Oddsmakers obviously have a lot of faith in Ohio State’s offense as they led the country last year in points scored. And according to some of their early spreads against formable opponents, they do not believe they will be slowing down in 2022. The game this fall marks the regular-season debut of Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman, a former star linebacker for the Buckeyes. The opener will also give us a lead on how well the Buckeyes' defense has improved. As a unit, they struggled in losses to Oregon and Michigan in 2021. But they have an excellent new coordinator in Jim Knowles. Notre Dame brings forth one of the best offensive lines in the nation, which will be a good test for Knowles defense.

Texas vs Oklahoma (Oct. 8)

Odds: Texas +9.5, Oklahoma -9.5

In one of the greatest rivalries in sports, the two teams have met 117 times. Texas holds the all-time edge at 62-50-5, but the Oklahoma Sooners have been closing the gap over the last two decades. Since 2000, the Oklahoma Sooners are 16-7 against the Longhorns. Since 2010, they’re 10-3 over their Red River rivals. The 2021 Red River Rivalry made Caleb Williams into a star as he led Oklahoma to the largest comeback victory in the series’ history. Texas appears to be better equipped this fall to defeat the Sooners, who enter a new era with a new coach, Brent Venables, a new quarterback (UCF transfer Dillon Gabriel) and much stronger resolve in the locker room. This game will not only have Big 12 implications, but the winner could find itself competing for a national title.

Texas A&M at Alabama (Oct. 8)

Odds: Texas A&M +16, Alabama -16

Texas A&M was a four-time loser a year ago, but also beat the No. 1 Crimson Tide and just signed arguably the greatest haul in college football recruiting history. A bonus of this matchup is the explosive feud between the team’s head coaches, after Nick Saban claimed that the Aggies "bought every player on their team" and Jimbo Fisher going on an all-time rant defending his program and himself. This one is personal for the Aggies. Fisher and Saban supercharged the storyline in the offseason. Alabama will be the preseason No. 1 or No. 2 in the polls and is already a double-digit favorite against the Aggies at home, but Texas A&M is on the cusp of boom or bust in the Fisher Era. Fisher just secured the best recruiting class in ESPN Composite history, not to mention he is a former assistant to Saban and the only one to ever beat him. Many predict this game to be the game of the year.

Michigan at Ohio State (Nov. 26)

Odds: Michigan +13.5, Ohio State -13.5

Michigan snapped its eight-year losing streak by winning 42-27 in Ann Arbor last year. The win was massive for Michigan as it ultimately catapulted them to the CFP. The Wolverines lost a ton of the production that helped get them their last fall, including on the defensive line and at running back. Ohio State returns solid offensive pieces and should be much better defensively, setting up what could be an end-of-the-season matchup between top 10 ranked rivals both looking for a berth in the Big Ten Championship Game and a playoff spot. Little respect is being shown towards Michigan in the opening line. Keep this one marked on the calendar; it could be one of the few top 10 matchups we see this year.

With many matchups to choose from, these are some of my favorites. The College Football Playoff is more up from grabs this year more than ever before, and all these matchups will be determining factors in who gets in and who comes up short. The SEC, Big Ten, and Big 12 will be the most competitive divisions in football, coming as no surprise, with the Pac-12 trying to make a comeback to relevancy. Who will come out on top? Set your calendar and start your countdown.

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