2022-23 College Football Playoff futures: Utah with fifth-shortest odds, projected to be betting favorite in every regular-season game
Could Utah crash the College Football Playoff for the first time this season?
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Caesars Sportsbook has released its yes/no odds to reach the 2022-23 College Football Playoff, and as one would expect Alabama (-260 for yes), Ohio State (-250), Georgia (-120) and Clemson (+150) are the favorites to reach the national semifinals. What might surprise bettors is the fifth favorite: Utah, with odds of +400 for yes and -550 for no.
The Utes are reigning Pac-12 champions and nearly knocked off Ohio State in last season's highly entertaining Rose Bowl, a 48-45 Buckeyes victory. Coach Kyle Whittingham is set to return 13 starters, including eight on offense. The first-team All-Pac 12 quarterback last season wasn't someone from USC or Oregon, but the Utes' Cam Rising. He'll be back for the 2022 campaign.
Rising didn't open the 2021 season as the starter – Baylor transfer Charlie Brewer did – but wound up starting the final 11 games and completed 204-of-320 passes for 2,493 yards and 20 touchdowns. He rushed 74 times for 499 yards and six scores. Rising was the highest-rated rated Pac-12 quarterback on ESPN's QBR rating (84.2) and sixth nationally.
Leading rusher Tavion Thomas also returns. He played in every game last year but only started four. That didn't hinder Thomas much, as he carried 204 times for 1,108 yards and 21 touchdowns en route to being named first-team All-Pac-12. Those TDs were third in the nation and a single-season school record. Five of Utah's top six pass-catchers are also back.
While only five starters return on defense, that unit is always one of the nation's best. The Utes seem to grow star defensive linemen on trees, and Junior Tafuna was Pac-12 Freshman Defensive Player of the Year in 2021. Cornerback JaTravis Broughton, honorable mention All-Pac-12 in 2020, missed most of last season with a shoulder injury but is now healthy. That potentially terrific secondary is led by Clark Phillips, who had 63 tackles, 15 passes defended, two picks and two forced fumbles last year in being named All-Pac-12.
What may also surprise you is that Utah is projected to be favored in every regular-season game. The Utes are -2.5 at Florida in the season-opening "Urban Meyer Used To Coach Here Bowl" and get USC at home. Barring injury, the lone chance Utah has of being a dog is Nov. 19 at Oregon.
Southern Cal, incidentally, has the fifth-best odds of reaching the College Football Playoff at +425 (no -600). Previously, the Utes and Trojans couldn't play in the Pac-12 title game because they were both in the South Division, but there are no longer divisions in the conference. Utah and USC are both +210 to win the conference title. A Pac-12 team has reached the playoff only twice. Washington was the last to do it in 2016.
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