posted May 23, 2008 at 13:21 EST in NCAA F Betting Trends

Last season Ohio State finished as college football’s runner-up for the second straight year, while LSU took home another national championship. And this time they didn’t have to share it with anyone else. After some offseason turnover will either team find themselves fighting for another national championship this season? Right now the NCAA football online betting fans can get both of these powerhouse programs at +1000 in the online sportsbook on the national championship futures sports betting odds, but is either of them worth it?

The defending champion Tigers stormed to their title last year behind a strong defense, an offense that delivered when they needed it to, and of course a little luck for the online sports betting enthusiasts. Among the departures from their championship squad are QB Matt Flynn, RB Jacob Hester, WR Early Doucet and defensive warrior Glenn Dorsey. On defense the Tigers also lost coordinator Bo Pelini, but they should still be a very strong unit behind an immense front four and a boatload of talent in their secondary.

On offense Hester will be missed but Keiland Williams should be able to admirably fill his shoes, while LSU likely won’t miss a step at receiver thanks to NFL-caliber talents Brandon LaFell and Demetrius Byrd. The Tigers also boast a strong offensive line stacked with returning players. The Tigers still aren’t hyping their offense though, because they still need to find a replacement at the most important position – quarterback.

Ryan Perrilloux was supposed to take over for Flynn – and quite possibly exceed his performance – but Perrilloux won’t get the chance after getting dismissed from the team for continued bad behavior. With Perrilloux out it will be up to either Jarrett Lee or Andrew Hatch to take over. Not a great situation for coach Les Miles to be in, but he should manage. If LSU can get some more luck, they could turn out to be a steal at +1000 on the NCAAF odds.

Meanwhile, the Buckeyes are likely still smarting from another miss at a national championship, but there’s no reason they can’t get back to the game again with nine starters returning on offense and 10 coming back on defense. On offense Todd Boeckman silenced all the critics last season with a stellar first year as the starting QB, and he should continue to improve with more playing time under his belt. Running back Chris Wells is considered to be an early Heisman favorite and should put up big numbers running through one of the best offensive lines in the nation.

It is Ohio State we’re talking about, which of course means a strong defense. The Buckeyes were a defensive powerhouse last season and they could be even better this year. The Buckeyes boasted the No. 1 pass defense in the nation and should continue to shut down their opponent’s aerial attack with all four starters from the secondary returning.

Ohio State also has six of their front seven returning, including monster linebacker James Laurinaitis. To put it bluntly, the Buckeyes’ defense could be good enough to win games on its own.

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