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CFB title odds: 3 long shots who can win it all

Norm Hall / Getty Images Sport / Getty

This fall, 130 college football teams will kick off a new FBS season. Roughly 120 of them have zero shot at winning the national title. Sorry, but that's just reality.

Alabama and Clemson have been the cream of the crop lately, combining to win five of the last six championships. Over that span, only five different programs have played in the title game.

History says long shots aren't the way to go, but here are three at 20-1 or better that I believe have solid value.

Odds to win the 2021-22 CFP title

Team Odds
Alabama +200
Clemson +350
Georgia +400
Ohio State +500
Oklahoma +600
Iowa State +2000
Florida +2800
USC +3300
Texas A&M +3500
Miami +4000
Texas +4500
LSU +5000
Notre Dame +5000
Oklahoma State +5000
North Carolina +5500
Oregon +5500
Penn State +6000
Wisconsin +6000
Auburn +7500
Cincinnati +7500
Iowa +7500
Indiana +8000
Michigan +8000
Northwestern +10000
Mississippi +12500
Tennessee +12500
Washington +12500
Arizona State +15000
UCLA +15000

Only displaying teams with odds of 150-1 or shorter

Iowa State (+2000)

All the talk's centered around Oklahoma, per usual. Head coach Lincoln Riley has won the Big 12 in all four of his campaigns and is cleaning up on the recruiting trail. The Sooners have three College Football Playoff appearances but have yet to break through to the title game.

Oklahoma's the obvious choice to plow through the Big 12, but Iowa State's one 'dog to consider. Quarterback Brock Purdy and running back Breece Hall can both take over a game, and the Cyclones are always stout defensively under Matt Campbell.

The sixth-year Iowa State sideline boss registered his most wins at the post last year (9), although it could have been more.

Only three teams in the entire nation return more production from last campaign than the Cyclones, which outscored their opponents by 11.5 points per game in 2020.

Texas A&M (+3500)

Texas A&M was arguably the most underrated team in the country last year. The Aggies ran the table following a Week 2 loss to Alabama, winning their final seven games by double digits.

Head coach Jimbo Fisher has recruited at a high level, notching three straight top-8 classes, according to 247. There's plenty of talent on the roster, and no side out of the West draws an easier schedule.

Don't sleep on A&M.

Miami (+4000)

Miami's been one of the nation's most underwhelming programs over the last decade, but this feels like a big leap for the Hurricanes.

The team made a significant jump last season, thanks to first-year Miami offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee's uptempo style. The 'Canes ran 7.2 more plays per game than they did in 2019, and in turn, they saw boosts in both yards per play (5.1 to 5.8) and points per contest (22.6 to 34.0).

Miami returns the most production in the country offensively and is top-5 defensively. The unit has a tough draw out of the gates against Alabama but could run the table thereafter.

It's now or never for head coach Manny Diaz.

Alex Kolodziej is a betting writer for theScore. Find him on Twitter @Ugglas4arms.

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