NCAA Football Top 25 Rankings 2021: Alabama and Oklahoma Battle for No. 1, Updated Championship Odds
The latest NCAA Football Top 25 rankings have arrived, giving a picture of who the top teams will be heading into the season. That season is approaching rapidly with many preseason games slated for the upcoming weekend. As we head towards those games, an official AP Top 25 preseason rankings list has been released, with no surprises as far as the top squads go. Here’s a look at the latest poll, and the championship futures.
NCAA Football Top 25 rankings: AP Preseason poll (8/16/21)
Last season saw Nick Saban and the Alabama Crimson Tide capture their sixth championship. Based on the early NCAA Football Top 25 rankings, they’re the team to beat as the season approaches. In the AP’s poll, Bama received a total of 1,548 points and 47 first-place votes. They’re followed by the Oklahoma Sooners and Clemson Tigers. in second, and third, respectively.
Ohio State was on the losing side in the National Championship Game and enters the preseason as the No. 4 team in the AP Top 25. As many saw in a season affected by the pandemic, the Buckeyes played only eight games. They achieved a 7-1 record, going 5-0 in their conference. After defeating Clemson 49–28 in the Sugar Bowl, they lost 52-24 to the Sooners in the championship game.
Rounding out the top five teams are the Georgia Bulldogs who went 8-2 overall with a 7-2 record in SEC play. Below is a look at the entire Preseason AP Top 25 rankings.
- Alabama (47) 1,548
- Oklahoma (6) 1,462
- Clemson (6) 1,447
- Ohio State (1) 1,393
- Georgia (3) 1,365
- Texas A&M 1,223
- Iowa State 1,160
- Cincinnati 1,014
- Notre Dame 1,009
- North Carolina 999
- Oregon 968
- Wisconsin 743
- Florida 728
- Miami (Fla.) 663
- USC 660
- LSU 631
- Indiana 549
- Iowa 513
- Penn State 456
- Washington 449
- Texas 350
- Coastal Carolina 232
- Louisiana-Lafayette 208
- Utah 176
- Arizona State 125
Latest college football championship futures
As Bama leads the NCAA Football Top 25 rankings, they also lead all teams as favorites to capture the championship. Bovada currently has them listed at +250 to win it all, followed by Clemson at +375, Georgia at +550, Oklahoma at +600, and Ohio State at +700 odds.
The NCAA futures differ by the book, though. For example, bettors will find BETOnline offering Clemson +475, Oklahoma at +600, Georgia at +650, and Ohio State at +700. Vegas Insider has Bama at +260 right now. Therefore it’s imperative to shop around for prices for those who want to jump in before games begin.
- Alabama +260
- Clemson +450
- Georgia +600
- Ohio State +600
- Oklahoma +800
- Iowa State +4000
- Texas A&M +4000
- LSU +5000
- Florida +5000
- UNC +5000
- Miami-Florida +5000
- Oregon +8000
- Penn State +8000
- Wisconsin +8000
- Notre Dame +8000
- USC +10000
- Texas +10000
- Michigan +10000
- Washington +10000
*Odds via Vegas Insider (8/16/21)
The Crimson Tide will be without several impressive players from their offense, as quarterback Mac Jones, wide receiver Devonta Smith, and running back Najee Harris are now with the NFL. Smith was last season’s Heisman Trophy winner, helping Bama go 13-0 en route to their championship.
They’ll begin their pursuit of another title when they play their first regular-season game on Saturday, September 4. They’ll face the No. 14 Miami Hurricanes at 3:30 p.m. Eastern Time with ABC providing the telecast.
Check out the Sports Odds Digest NCAA football page for more odds, rumors, and news.
