Big Movement in Top-Ten National Championship Odds with Entire NCAAF Season in Jeopardy

Can CJ Verdell and the Oregon Ducks become the first Pac-12 team to win the College Football Playoff? Photo courtesy @BR_CFB (twitter)

• The college football season was scheduled to begin in late August but could be delayed due to COVIC-19
• There was big movement in the national championship odds with three new teams entering the top ten
• The Oregon Ducks are now listed at +5000 at DraftKings and are an intriguing value bet to win it all

As the season (hopefully) draws closer there has been a major shift in the 2020 college football national championship odds. Notre Dame, Texas and Texas A&M are now all in the top 10 while Penn State, Oregon and Auburn dropped out.

NCAAF Championship Odds

Odds taken July 23rd.

What does this all mean for all of you in the betting community? My dark horse pick to win it all just got a big boost in their value. You can get the Oregon Ducks as high as +5000 at DraftKings. Here’s the case for why you should consider placing a wager on Oregon to become the first Pac-12 team to win the College Football Playoff.

Tyler Shough Should Win QB Competition

With star quarterback Justin Herbert on to the NFL the Ducks are looking for his replacement. It’s currently a competition between Tyler Shough and Boston College transfer Anthony Brown. As it stands, Shough appears to have a slight edge having performed well in the program last year as Herbert’s back up. He completed 80% of his passes and finished the year with 3 touchdowns as well.

On the rise. pic.twitter.com/rdyOL7vqXe

— Tyler Shough (@tylershough2) June 25, 2020

More than the solid numbers when given a limited opportunity, it’s the size of Shough that has me most convinced he can help the Ducks compete. At 6’5 and 220 pounds the sophomore from Arizona bears a striking resemblance to Herbert. If head coach Mario Cristobal gives him the job, I think Oregon will be headed in the right direction.

Will CJ Verdell Compete for the Heisman Trophy?

Whichever quarterback wins the job they’ll likely be the third most important member of the offense. First will be star running back CJ Verdell. In two seasons at Oregon, the speedster has combined for 2,678 all purpose yards and 20 touchdowns. Much of the quarterbacks job in the early going will be to take the snap and simply hand the ball to Verdell so he can do his thing.

One of seven returning FBS players with 1,000 yards rushing each of the last two seasons and the reigning Pac-12 Championship Game MVP. @Cjverdell_ | @DoakWalkerAward#GoDucks pic.twitter.com/nWrl3Vl3lj

— Oregon Football (@oregonfootball) July 15, 2020

The other key to the offense will be OT Penei Sewell who will likely be the first offensive lineman taken in next year’s NFL draft. Talk about a comfortable scenario to walk into as a new quarterback – one of the best running backs in the sport to your side, all while being protected by the most talented tackle in the country.

Scheduling Changes Could Help Oregon

The entire season is a big question mark with what’s going on in the world but assuming the season moves forward Oregon may have received a boost with the decision to only play in-conference. Two of the cancelled games in particular stood out to me. The Ducks were set to face NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision power North Dakota State in their opener. The Bisons have won 8 of the last 9 championships at that level.

Breaking: The Big Ten decided that a conference-only season for all fall sports, including football is the most likely outcome, a source with knowledge of the discussions told @CFBHeather and @Mark_Schlabach. https://t.co/yyfdYXjgVN pic.twitter.com/S1iA8cfIEb

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) July 9, 2020

Of course the bigger gift is having Ohio State scratched off the schedule, the Buckeyes were set to come to Eugene and that game is no longer on the books. While these two games would have given Oregon an opportunity to impress the voters, they also provided early season stumbling blocks. With the dates out of the way, they can now focus on the Pac-12 slate which appears to be more manageable in the early going. This way, the tough games they’ll need to win in order to capture a championship won’t come until their new quarterback is locked and loaded with some more experience in the system.

PICK: Oregon Ducks (+5000)

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