From Ohio State to TCU: The 17 teams that can

• Heather Dinich, ESPN

  • Senior Citizen WriterAug 1, 2023, 07:00 AM ET Close College football reporter Signed up with ESPN.com in 2007
  • Graduate of Indiana University

Even Alabama coach Nick Saban will concede that today, Georgia is at the top of college football. That does not indicate Alabama can’t alter that story. Or Tennessee. Or LSU. Or Ohio State.

“Georgia has actually won 2 national championships in a row, so I ‘d state for the moment they are the very best,” Saban told ESPN this spring. “They’ve proven on the field that they are the best for the last 2 years. But success is not a continuum for us. It’s not a continuum for anybody.”

According to the College Football Power Index, nobody has a much better possibility to make the College Football Playoff– and win it– than Ohio State. Georgia is best behind the Buckeyes, but they’re barely alone, as there are 17 teams with at least a 1% chance of making the CFP this fall. Of those 17 teams, 11 are given at least a 1% possibility to win the national title. The sport just has a handful of truly elite teams, however the beauty lies in its capability to shock us. Believe TCU last year. Or Cincinnati the year prior to. Who could that be in 2023?

While the FPI percentages generated listed below originated from a formula obtained by ESPN Analytics, the selection committee brings a human element to the procedure, so we factor that in to figure out how well the portions line up with what could take place in the room. We have actually also noted odds from Las Vegas thanks to Caesars Sportsbook. The groups are ranked in order of the very best chance to reach the playoff, according to FPI (through July 31).

Ohio State Last year’s record: 11-2
FPI forecast: Make playoff: 82.2%|Win national title: 36.7%
Caesars Sportsbook chances to make playoff: +105

Concur or disagree with FPI: Somewhat agree. This group is absolutely CFP material, however it should not be offered a higher opportunity than Michigan– a minimum of not yet– thinking about the Wolverines have a veteran starting quarterback returning from a CFP team that beat the Buckeyes the previous 2 seasons. Ohio State’s defense will play better and smarter in the second season under organizer Jim Knowles, the lineup is still oozing NFL draft skill on both sides, and there is proven CFP experience.