Las Vegas sportsbooks are favoring the University of Texas Longhorns, led by quarterback Arch Manning, to win the national college football championship this season. This would mark the program’s first title since its victory against Southern California in the Rose Bowl two decades ago.
Arch Manning, who is from a prominent football family that includes his uncles Peyton Manning and Eli Manning as well as his grandfather Archie Manning, leads early odds to win the Heisman Trophy—a rare feat not yet accomplished by members of his family. After backing up Quinn Ewers for two seasons, Arch Manning now steps into a starting role and has drawn considerable interest among bettors.
“I think (hype is) a big part of it,” said Johnny Avello, DraftKings Sportsbook race and sports operations director. “The team has made strides to become one of the top teams in college football. (Bettors) looked at the team last year and the quarterback was okay, but I wouldn’t call him the elite quarterback. So now Manning’s in there, and he’s got the history of all the Mannings in the past.”
At BetMGM Sportsbook, Texas is listed as +450 favorites for the national title, ahead of defending champions Ohio State (+525). Other top-ranked contenders include Penn State, Clemson, Georgia, and Oregon.
Arch Manning is also BetMGM’s current favorite to win the Heisman Trophy at 6-1 odds. LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier and Clemson’s Cade Klubnik follow at 9-1 each. CBS SportsLine handicapper Bruce Marshall commented on these odds: “The storyline there [is] with (Manning’s) grandpa and his uncle missing out on the trophy, so I can see that storyline kind of evolving like that (…) Like, this is sort of a payback for the Mannings this year, but we just haven’t seen that much of him. Should he be up there ahead of Klubnik from Clemson? I wouldn’t think so, but he’s there.”
Looking beyond Texas’ prospects, players such as Colorado’s Travis Hunter have also attracted attention after winning last season’s Heisman—breaking a trend where quarterbacks had dominated in previous years. This season again favors quarterbacks for top individual honors.
Ohio State’s playoff chances remain high according to sportsbooks; bets are focused on whether they will exceed 10 1/2 wins this year. “It felt like they kind of coasted through the regular season and then really turned it on when they got to the playoffs,” BetMGM sports trading manager Christian Cipollini said. “(…) Some of these teams are almost guaranteed to get in with this expanded playoff. It’s going to take a lot for Ohio State or Alabama, these really big-name schools, to not make it.”
Fans can join fellow supporters at The Tailgate sports event hosted by CultureMap on September 25 at Distribution Hall in Austin. The gathering features food from local restaurants and chefs along with memorabilia auctions and appearances from Texas sports legends.
