October 12, 2024; Eugene, Oregon, USA Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Will Howard (18) celebrates scoring in the first half of the NCAA soccer game against the Oregon Ducks at Autzen Stadium One of Ohio State’s two losses this season came against No. 1 Oregon, but that didn’t stop the Adventurers from installing the eighth-seeded Buckeyes as the favorite to beat the Ducks in the College Football Playoff quarterfinals.
Shortly after Ohio State completed its 42-17 victory over No. 9 Tennessee on Saturday night, the Buckeyes opened as 1.0-point favorites on DraftKings and 1.5-point favorites on BetRivers to beat Oregon on New Year’s Day.
The teams met earlier this season in one of the most memorable games of the 2024 regular season. The Buckeyes visited Autzen Stadium on Oct. 12 and left with a dramatic 32-31 loss. A rematch in the Big Ten title game seemed possible until Ohio State was upset at home by unranked Michigan to close the regular season.
Oddsmen are clearly putting more weight on Saturday’s convincing win over Tennessee in the final game of the CFP opening round.
Oregon will enter the quarterfinal matchup with a perfect 13-0 record, but it will be nearly a month since the Ducks beat Penn State in the Big Ten title game.
Many believe the CFP committee essentially rewarded the Nittany Lions despite the loss. While Oregon faces a potential CFP gauntlet Ohio State, No. 5 of Texas and No. 2 Georgia, Penn State opened with a 38-10 win over then-No. 11 of SMU on Saturday.
Next is Boise State, which is third but hails from the Mountain West Conference. Penn State opened as a 10.5-point favorite at both sportsbooks. Only Texas, facing No. 4 Arizona State, is a heavy favorite among the quarterfinals at 13.5 points.
Georgia and No. 7 Notre Dame will be the last CFP game on New Year’s Day. The Bulldogs opened as 1.5-point favorites on DraftKings, while BetRivers installed Georgia as a 3.0-point favorite.
The road to the national title will require one of the remaining teams to win three straight. For Texas, Penn State, Notre Dame and Ohio State, that would mean winning four playoff games — though each of them won their first-round games handily.
NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP PERFORMANCE*
Texas (+340)
Ohio State (+380)
Oregon (+400)
Penn State (+475)
Georgia (+550)
Notre Dame (+550)
Boise State (+7000)
Arizona State (+7000)
*DraftKings
–Within field level
