2025 College Football Playoff odds: Four bets to consider - ESPN

The 2024 college football season gave us our first real taste of the expanded 12-team College Football Playoff, and with it came the beauty of chaos. Six new programs made their playoff debuts — Penn State, Tennessee, Indiana, Arizona State, SMU, and Boise State — proof that with more seats at the table, the barrier to entry is shifting. It's no longer just about perfection or prestige; it's about peaking at the right time and surviving the grind.

Here are four College Football Playoff bets to consider ahead of the season.

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If there was ever a year to sprinkle on the Hawkeyes to make the playoff, this might be it. Their schedule is tough on paper, but it's spaced out in a way that could play to their strengths. Penn State and Oregon come to Kinnick, and the early road stretch at Iowa State, Rutgers and Wisconsin are all winnable if South Dakota State transfer QB Mark Gronowski hits the ground running. The Hawkeyes avoid Michigan and Ohio State, and if Gronowski lives up to his FCS hero status, this team might finally have enough juice on offense to complement Phil Parker's always-stingy defense. Iowa's special teams' unit is elite, their offensive line is seasoned and Ferentz's teams rarely beat themselves. This is not a team built to win with style points, but if they continue to grind out wins and hit November with momentum, this Black and Gold playoff ticket could cash. And let's be honest, if Iowa does sneak into the Playoff, it won't be on the back of 12 punts and a prayer. This year's offense might actually have some teeth.

This bet offers real value in a Big 12 conference that's wide open