SEC Expected to Continue Dominance in College Football

Published on January 15th, 2011, by Paul Runyon

LSU fans may enjoy gambling on Tigers football in 2011.

The dust hasn’t settled from the Auburn Tigers’ seizing the BCS college football championship, but numbers are already out on online gambling sites for next year’s run, and it seems bettors and oddsmakers are thinking the SEC has a good shot at retaining the title conference schools have held for five years running. Although Oklahoma is the early favorite, two SEC schools are among the four leading betting contenders for the 2011 championship.

After the Sooners at 7-2, according to the Bodog online betting lines, the Alabama Crimson Tide is the next choice at 15-2. And only Florida State, a 10-1 selection, keeps the Louisiana State Tigers out of the third slot, as LSU would pay 12-1 if they complete a title run. The SEC has already won five straight and seven of the thirteen BCS championships since the format was instituted.

Boise State is also listed as 12-1, but the Broncos have shown that superior play and an excellent record are not necessarily enough to reach the deciding game, as the six BCS conferences maintain a huge advantage over other schools in qualifying to play for the trophy. This past season, TCU went undefeated but could only finish as a bridesmaid, ending with the number two ranking at season’s end.

This makes gambling on schools like Boise State problematic; not only do they need to perform on the field, like other teams, but they also need several breaks to even get a shot at being crowned the best team in college football.

Meanwhile, gambling on LSU may return big this year, considering the Tigers’ unexpectedly strong play this past season, which resulted in an 11-2 record and a Cotton Bowl victory over Texas A&M. LSU returns nine offensive starters, eight defensive ones, and a host of young players who received valuable experience this year. Only the grinding SEC schedule, which sees LSU having to host Auburn and visit Alabama and Florida, seems likely to stand in Les Miles’ way for a second ring during his tenure.