Going undefeated in the college football regular season is generally a difficult task... unless you’re the Georgia Bulldogs over the last few seasons. The two-time defending national champions haven’t lost a regular season game since 2020.
With a less-than-difficult non-conference schedule, no Alabama in their SEC crossover games, and their toughest matchup looking like a game with Tennessee in Knoxville on Nov. 18, it might be another year without a regular season loss for the Bulldogs.
“Nowhere to run, and nowhere to hide.” -2022 Georgia Bulldogs
— Aaron Leicht (@aaronleicht) July 18, 2023
“Better never rests.” -2023 Georgia Bulldogs#GoDawgs | #ThreePeat pic.twitter.com/tRl85fu5Jd
In fact, the NCAAF oddsmakers like Georgia so much, they are the only team not on the market to post an undefeated regular season.
So the question is, who — besides Georgia — has a shot at this rare feat? I break down the college football odds and bring you my favorite three teams to go undefeated in 2023.
College football undefeated regular season odds
| Team | 2022 Regular Season Record |  |
|---|---|---|
 Michigan Wolverines |
13-0 | +240 |
 Ohio State Buckeyes |
11-1 | +260 |
 Clemson Tigers |
10-2 | +430 |
 Alabama Crimson Tide |
10-2 | +440 |
 USC Trojans |
11-1 | +550 |
 Texas Longhorns |
8-4 | +650 |
 Florida State Seminoles |
9-3 | +650 |
 LSU Tigers |
9-3 | +700 |
 Oklahoma Sooners |
6-6 | +800 |
 Oregon Ducks |
9-3 | +800 |
Odds as of July 27, 2023.
Michigan Wolverines
The first non-Georgia candidate to go undefeated in the 2023 regular season has got to be Michigan. And at +240, the Wolverines have the best odds to do so.
Michigan finished 2022 with a 13-1 record, where they went a perfect 12-0 in the regular season. That included a massive road win at rival Ohio State. The lone loss came as an 8-point favorite to TCU in the Fiesta Bowl, which served as the College Football Playoff Semifinal.
And with the roster that is returning, the goal for Jim Harbaugh and the Wolverines is nothing short of a national title. Quarterback JJ McCarthy returns, as do Michigan’s dynamic duo at running back in Blake Corum and Donovan Edwards. That trio will play behind what should be one of the top offensive lines in the country.
On the other side of the ball, the Wolverines return seven starters to a unit that could be stronger than the defense that ranked sixth nationally in total yards per game last season.
The Wolverines can ease into the season with a soft non-conference schedule. They should be a perfect 7-0 heading into their Oct. 21 matchup at rival Michigan State, which should be their first real test of the season. Trips to Penn State and Maryland won’t be cakewalks, but the Wolverines have the advantage of playing Ohio State in the Big House this season.
Michigan currently has the second-best odds to win the Big Ten championship at +185 behind the Buckeyes (+165), but frankly, I think it is the Wolverines who should be favorites to win their third straight conference title. Another perfect regular season is certainly on the table.
Pick: Michigan to go undefeated (+240 at FanDuel)
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Alabama Crimson Tide
I think Alabama has some value here. All everyone can talk about (including me) is how the path to the National Championship goes through Athens, and no longer Tuscaloosa. And there is nothing scarier in college football than a ticked-off Nick Saban.
The Crimson Tide enter 2023 with the most uncertainty under center since before Jalen Hurts won SEC Freshman of the Year back in 2016, as there's a three-way quarterback competition.
Jalen Milroe has the most experience and earned a win over Texas A&M last year but is a run-first QB and has some limitations. Ty Simpson is a five-star recruit entering his sophomore season and saw very limited action last year. And then Notre Dame transfer Tyler Buchner entered the fray.
Buchner started three games for the Irish last season, completing 55.4% of his passes for 651 yards with three touchdowns and five picks. He follows offensive coordinator Tommy Rees, who took the same job at Alabama.
Nick Saban on the QB battle between Jalen Milroe, Ty Simpson and Tyler Buchner:
— College Sports on SiriusXM (@SXMCollege) July 20, 2023
“Making good choices and decisions, getting the ball to the right place at the right time accurately, is the most important thing about playing quarterback.”
FULL INTERVIEW: https://t.co/eIe2On8609 pic.twitter.com/Lq7GS2uYkv
And just because the likes of Bryce Young and Will Anderson have left for the NFL, it doesn’t mean the cupboards are bare in Tuscaloosa.
Running back Jase McClellan and wideouts Jermaine Burton and Ja’Corey Brooks are all dangerous weapons. While replacing Anderson will be near impossible for the defense, the group now led by star cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry could be more consistent overall.
On top of that, the Tide have a schedule that is pretty much as nice as the SEC can make it. No Georgia, and Texas, Mississippi, Tennessee, and LSU all come to Bryant-Denny Stadium this season.
Alabama has the “we’re being overlooked/disrespected” angle (even if it’s not true) and wouldn’t it just make sense for them to run the table the year no one expects them to?
Pick: Alabama to go undefeated (+440 at FanDuel)
UTSA Road Runners
It’s always good to give the Group of Five a good look when it comes to an undefeated regular season. We’ve seen a handful of them over the past few seasons. UCF and Cincinnati come to mind. And if there is a Group of Five team that can run the table in the regular season, I like UTSA at 38/1.
The Road Runners are coming off back-to-back C-USA championships. Now they’ll try to make it three conference titles in a row, but this time in a new conference, as UTSA makes its debut in the AAC. And the Road Runners have the ability to pull it off.
That’s because do-it-all starting quarterback Frank Harris returns. Harris completed nearly 70% of his passes for 4,063 yards with 32 touchdowns and nine interceptions while adding another 602 yards and nine scores on the ground.
But Harris isn’t the only one who’s back. UTSA returns 10 players to its offense from a season ago, including all five starters on what should be a physical offensive line. The defense shouldn’t be too far behind.
There are three games on the UTSA schedule that will stand in the way of a perfect regular season. The season opener at Houston, a Sept. 23 meeting at Tennessee, and the season finale at Tulane.
UTSA almost upset Houston on the road last season, falling by two points in overtime. But there is no Clayton Tune and Tank Dell for the Cougars this year. If there is anyone who can keep up with the Volunteers offense, it’s the Road Runners. And the meeting with Tulane could determine not only who plays in the AAC Championship, but who earns the Group of Five berth in the New Year’s Six Bowl game.
Like I said, if there’s a team that can pull it off, it’s the Road Runners. Meep! Meep!
Pick: UTSA to go undefeated (+3,800 at FanDuel)
