The Real Deal

At +700, are the Buckeyes ready for another a National Championship run?

Barring the unforeseen, the Ohio State Buckeyes will once again be participants in the CFP.

And once you’re in, anything is possible.

Ranked No. 3 from the start of the season until now, the Buckeyes have yet to let the pollsters down. In fact, the only scare they’ve had all season came in Week 4, when Notre Dame “should have” beaten them. But, the Irish failed miserably to do so, leaving Ohio’s State unblemished, just as they still are.

With impressive wins over No. 9 Penn State and unranked Wisconsin (in Madison), Ohio State will likely remain undefeated until their rivalry weekend matchup with Michigan. Upcoming games against Rutgers on the road, as well as Michigan State and Minnesota at home, should set up the Ohio State-Michigan game as a battle of unbeatens. It’s No. 2 versus No. 3 with plenty on the line.

But, because Michigan is ranked No. 2, even a loss might not prevent the Buckeyes from playing in college football’s version of the Final Four.

Can they win it all? At +700, it’s certainly a bet worth considering.

What to like about Ohio State to win the National Championship…

• Obviously, the Michigan game will tell us a lot about the Buckeyes. This year’s grudge match takes place at Michigan, so the test will be immense. Assuming everything is status quo, the Wolverines will likely be favored. As such, if Ohio State pulls off the upset, the price of +700 will be long gone. If you like the Buckeyes now, there’s zero point in waiting to pull the trigger.

• Defense wins championships. It’s an old axiom, but it holds true more than not. Interestingly enough, both Michigan and Ohio State rank 1 and 2 respectively in points allowed per game. In terms of yardage allowed, Michigan ranks 1^st while Ohio State ranks fourth. Perhaps more confidence-inspiring, however, is that neither Georgia nor Florida State – ranked 1^st and 4^th in the polls – have a top-5 defense. Georgia comes in at No. 8 while the Seminoles land at No. 29. All of these teams have excellent defenses, but Michigan and Ohio State perform at another level. So long as the Buckeyes make it in, there’s a solid chance they can advance to the national championship game.

• If you’re Buckeyes fan, there’s something good about the “sign stealing allegations” that are swirling around the Michigan football program. It could be nothing more than smoke, but if it’s anything closer to fire, who knows what could happen to Michigan. If you just so happen to be a conspiracy theorist, you might have a hunch that none of the powers that be in college football want to help out a cheating program. That bodes well for Ohio State. 

What not to like about Ohio State to win the National Championship…

• It’s probably unfair to say about a quarterback who’s led his team to an undefeated season thus far, but Kyle McCord may be the shakiest piece of Ohio State’s puzzle. It’s McCord’s first year as the starter, and while the Buckeyes remain unbeaten, they’ve done so without overly impressive performances from McCord. Star running back TreVeyon Henderson returned from injury last week and rushed for 162 yards against Wisconsin, but his health is of utmost importance; he’s a difference maker that can take some of the heat off McCord, who’s yet to play on the biggest of stages.  

• Winning “ugly” is a sometimes-admirable trait in a physical football team, and that’s exactly what Ohio State is and does. Many pundits aren’t about to forget about the blunders that prevented Notre Dame from beating Ohio State; that game left a sour tasted in the mouths of those who had high hopes for Ohio State. Within the top-5 ranks, three teams – Georgia, Washington and Florida State all post top-25 offenses; Michigan and Ohio State do not. While the Buckeyes are built on their stellar defense, nobody wins a national title without at least one or two commanding performances from the offense. Whether or not Ohio State can play offense worthy of a national championship should be a concern.   

Bud Parmalee’s Pick: Ohio State Buckeyes to win the CFP National Championship +700

These odds feel just about right, which is exactly why one should consider making the bet. No, the Buckeyes aren’t the best team in the country. But with their defense, they’ve got more than a puncher’s chance to beat anyone in the country. It’s felt as if Ohio State has been overrated all season, but somehow the Buckeyes just keep getting it done. If they can hang on to a top-4 ranking and get into the CFP, having bet them at +700 will feel like you’re holding a lottery ticket.