Ohio State impressed oddsmakers with its upset of Clemson, but the Buckeyes are still listed as touchdown underdogs to Alabama for the College Football Playoff National Championship Game on Jan. 11.
And the line was growing Saturday afternoon.
The Crimson Tide are consensus 7-point favorites over the Buckeyes in the national title game (8 p.m. ET, ESPN). The line began to wiggle Saturday, ticking up to Crimson Tide -8 at several U.S. sportsbooks.
Ahead of Friday’s playoff semifinals, Caesars Sportsbook by William Hill had Alabama listed as an 11-point favorite over the Buckeyes in an advance line on a potential championship game matchup. But after Ohio State throttled Clemson 49-28 in the Sugar Bowl, sportsbooks reposted Alabama as a 7-point favorite against the Buckeyes.
The Crimson Tide also won comfortably in their semifinal, topping Notre Dame 31-14 in the Rose Bowl. Alabama has been favored in 79 consecutive games and 151 of its past 152 overall entering the championship.
The over/under total on the championship game is set at 76, making it the highest total for a championship game in the BCS and College Football Playoff eras.
The semifinals were a boon for most sportsbooks, with both underdogs — Notre Dame (+19) and Ohio State (+7) — covering the spread. The majority of the betting public sided heavily with Alabama and Clemson.
One bettor in Indiana, however, won big on the Buckeyes. FanDuel reported taking a $1.3 million bet on Ohio State +7.5 from a bettor the sportsbook identified only as “The Indiana Man.”
