How Alabama's national title odds changed after coaching change
The coach that defined college football for a generation — if not the entire history of the sport — has retired, as 7-time national champion Nick Saban announced his bombshell retirement. Now, as the Crimson Tide bring on Kalen DeBoer to replace the greatest of all time, the odds makers in Las Vegas have taken notice.
At the end of the 2023 season when Saban was expected to return to the sideline, the opening odds on the 2024 national championship race at FanDuel Sportsbook found his Alabama team sitting in second place, behind only Georgia, at +550 to win the natty.
Then, after Saban's retirement announcement those odds predictably fell, initially to +1500. But after the Crimson Tide announced DeBoer as his successor, the team's championship odds rose somewhat, back up to +1300.
That puts the Tide in fifth place nationally, with three of those coming from the SEC.
Georgia still leads the way at +300, followed by presumptive Big Ten favorite Ohio State at +480, and Texas in third place at +700 to win the first 12-team College Football Playoff national championship.
Oregon and LSU follow at +850 and +1500, respectively.
The race to assemble a new coaching regime at Alabama is on as DeBoer looks to replace the man who holds the NCAA record for national titles. And if the wise guys are onto something, he appears to have a solid head start.
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