College Football Movers & Shakers: Week 2

Notre Dame’s shutout win over Michigan had a huge impact on futures betting.

Online sportsbook Bovada released its latest round of college football futures on Tuesday, serving up an insight into how Las Vegas currently sees the footballing landscape.

The top of the list makes for familiar reading, with the top five – Florida State (9/2), Alabama (7/1), Oregon (15/2), Oklahoma (9/1), Auburn (10/1) – remaining static. But there’re plenty of movers and shakers in this week’s list.

Here are 10 teams on the move: five impressing enough to move upwards and five disappointingly heading downwards.

Moving On Up

Texas A&M

Texas A&M (2-0, 1-0 SEC) saw its stock rise following an opening day defeat of South Carolina, watching as 75/1 odds of winning the national championship were slashed to 18/1. You might have thought that those odds would have stood still with the Aggies playing FCS opposition this past weekend, but sure enough, Kevin Sumlin’s side watched those odds shrink again.

Current odds: 12/1

Notre Dame

Want to know how to impress oddsmakers? Put the foot to your rival’s throat and press down. That’s what Notre Dame (2-0) did this past weekend in South Bend, thumping Michigan to the tune of 31-0. The Fighting Irish saw their odds shorten for a second straight week, while the Wolverines … well, we’ll get to that shortly.

Current odds: 25/1

Southern California

Like Notre Dame, Southern California (2-0, 1-0 Pac-12) also dispatched of a rival this weekend, getting the better of Stanford in a game that had plenty of drama and excitement despite its low score. Beating the Cardinal at its own game – hard-nosed football with plenty of trench battles – was enough to impress the bookmakers for the second week in a row.

Current odds: 12/1

Louisville

Believe it or not, just two months ago, ACC debutants Louisville (2-0, 1-0 ACC) had 250/1 odds of winning the national championship. A decisive intra-conference win over Miami (FL) saw those odds shorten last weekend, while a win over Murray State did likewise this week. Don’t be fooled though; the Cardinals remain a long shot.

Current odds: 75/1

Virginia Tech

Virginia Tech (2-0, 0-0 ACC) crashed the AP Top 25 Poll this weekend thanks to a 35-21 upset of Ohio State in Columbus. In similar kneejerk fashion, the Hokies also advanced up Bovada’s college football list, with 150/1 odds being cut in thirds. Will the side from Blacksburg prove to be a real threat this year? Unlikely, but riding this trend out a little longer seems to be on the cards.

Current odds: 50/1

The Downward Spiral

Michigan

For every team celebrating the highs of an odds-beating win, another is left with the bitter taste of defeat in its mouth. In being shut out by Notre Dame, Michigan (1-1, 0-0 Big Ten) was not so much humbled as humiliated. That humiliation surfaced on Bovada’s college football futures list, with the Wolverines’ odds of winning the national championship stretching from 50/1 to 250/1 in one fell swoop. Ouch!

Current odds: 250/1

Michigan State

Enter Big Ten contestant No. 2. Like their in-state rivals, Michigan State (1-1, 0-0 Big Ten) was also defeated this past weekend, albeit in slightly less embarrassing circumstances. After taking a 27-18 lead in Eugene, Oregon, the Spartans conceded 28 straight points and the game to Oregon. While a loss to the Ducks won’t have the same debilitating effect as a loss to an FCS school might have, Mark Dantonio’s side will find it tough heading forward.

Current odds: 33/1

Ohio State

Please welcome our third representative of the Big Ten, Ohio State (1-1, 0-0 Big Ten). From the moment Braxton Miller went down with a season-ending injury, things looked tough for the Buckeyes, but a loss to Virginia Tech was something most hadn’t counted on. Yet, that’s exactly what happened, dousing Ohio State’s national championship odds from 18/1 to 40/1 in the process. The loss also had a major impact on the Big Ten conference as a whole, which now looks devoid of a playoff contender.

Current odds: 40/1

Stanford

Unlike the Big Ten, the Pac-12 shouldn’t have any shortage of candidates for the first ever College Football Playoff. Whether or not Stanford (1-1, 0-1 Pac-12) is one of those vying for a berth remains to be seen after Saturday’s home loss to Southern California. Bookmakers hadn’t been sold on David Shaw’s side before Week 2; not they’re waving goodbye.

Current odds: 66/1

Texas

With starting quarterback David Ash out of the picture courtesy of concussion-like symptoms, it took Texas 44 minutes 31 seconds to get on the board Saturday. Sadly for the team from Austin, Brigham Young had already scored 34 points at that stage. Being thumped at home saw odds of the Longhorns winning a championship slide to 150/1. On the flip side, BYU watched as its own odds were slashed from 300/1 to 100/1, which was almost enough to get the side listed above.

Current odds: 150/1

Check out the latest college football futures odds

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