Florida State fans, players, and coaches weren’t pleased with the undefeated Seminoles being left out of the College Football Playoff, but betting odds suggest their exclusion may lead to a more competitive round of semifinal games.
Michigan, the No. 1 overall seed in the playoff, will face No. 4 Alabama as opposed to Florida State. The Wolverines are just a 1.5-point favorite over the Crimson Tide, according to Tuesday odds from BetMGM lists Michigan as just a 1-point favorite.
No. 5 Florida State, which faces No. 6 Georgia in the Orange Bowl, is a 14-point underdog to the Bulldogs on ESPN BET. Florida State quarterback Jordan Travis is out for the season with a leg injury, and the committee decided 12-1 Alabama was more deserving of a playoff spot than 13-0 Florida State without its quarterback.
“Florida State is a different team without Jordan Travis,” Boo Coorigan, the chairman of the College Football Playoff selection committee, told the media. “One of the things we do consider is player availability, and our job is to rank the best teams, and in the final decision looking at that, it was Alabama at 4 and Florida State at 5.”
In the other semifinal, No. 2 Washington is a 4-point underdog to No. 3 Texas on ESPN BET. The total for Washington-Texas is 64.5 points, as more scoring is expected in that matchup than Michigan-Alabama, which has a total of 45.5 points.
Wolverines the title favorite 4j3v2o
Alabama and Michigan are viewed as the top national title favorites across the best mobile sportsbooks for college basketball betting. FanDuel lists Michigan at +175 to win the championship and Alabama at +210. Texas is +260 and Washington holds the longest odds at +800.
Washington is a perfect 13-0 this season with two wins over Oregon, but the Huskies are just 6-6-1 against the spread this year. They’ve won four consecutive games by one possession, as they’ve looked impressive but not dominant for much of the 2023 season.
Other betting apps have similar odds to FanDuel, with Caesars Sportsbook has Michigan at +185, Alabama at +200, Texas at +270, and Washington at +750.
Michigan reacts to Alabama being selected at No. 4. Wolverines and Crimson Tide in the CFP semi. pic.twitter.com/V2mrgLQA3W
— Adam Rittenberg (@ESPNRittenberg) December 3, 2023
Michigan is the only team with 2022 College Football Playoff experience, as the Wolverines qualified for the playoff last season. They were bounced in the semifinals by TCU, which won a 51-45 shootout.
“We’re thrilled to be playing Alabama, thrilled to be playing in the Rose Bowl because it’s going to be competition,” Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh told the media. “That’s what this team lives for.”
Alabama most recently played in the playoff in 2021, losing to Georgia in the national championship. Michigan also made the event that season.
Washington made the College Football Playoff in 2016, losing to Alabama in the semifinals. This is the first time Texas has ever made the playoff.
Heisman likely going to Daniels 5ga5g
With regular season and conference championship games finished, the Heisman Trophy is essentially decided. Fans won’t know who officially wins the award until Saturday, when it’s announced.
Sports betting odds suggest LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels is all but certain to lift the trophy Saturday. He held odds of -1450 to win the honor on FanDuel on Monday, with the market since being removed across multiple sportsbooks.
Entering last weekend, Oregon quarterback Bo Nix was the favorite to win the award. An Oregon loss to Washington flipped that script, positioning Daniels to win the trophy.
Daniels threw for 3,812 yards and 40 touchdowns this season. He also added 1,134 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns.
