The NCAAF holds the attention and affection of millions of fans across the US. Many of those fans hold an interest in betting on college football, and struggle to find the appropriate resources for engaging in responsible sports wagering through legal college football betting sites. This guide was designed to end the struggling that USA players face by providing up to date and accurate information about the legal status of college football betting, as well as the availability of legally sanctioned options for participating. We also provide a peek into what to expect in the year's college football season to assist players in making informed decisions when betting on NCAAF games and teams through an insightful preview into the status of specific key teams and players. The preview information on this page will help college football fans identify the most advantageous betting lines when enjoying legal football betting online or in the sportsbooks in Vegas. We have created a similar guide for fans of pro football with our legal NFL football betting page.
There are two specific federal laws which govern US based sports betting. The first is the Federal Wire Act, which prohibits US based online sportsbooks from operating within the United States. The second law, the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act prohibits US based sportsbook businesses from operating anywhere in the United States with the exception of four select destinations which are exempt, including Nevada, Delaware, Montana and Oregon. These two laws combine to prohibit the expansion of legal bookmaking businesses within the United States. They do not affect any of the legally licensed and regulated offshore sportsbooks that provide their services to US players, nor do they make it illegal for American residents to participate in sports betting at these gambling sites. This means that the college football betting sites listed here represent legitimate opportunities for US bettors to wager on college football without breaking any type of US laws.
These legal online sports betting sites all offer competitive lines for betting on college football teams and games. They were each vetted carefully by a team of professionals, and were validated as legally licensed, secure and providing an over all high quality experience to US residents and also to international bettors in most cases. By selecting betting destinations that are approved by industry experts, you are minimizing your risks of becoming vulnerable to any type of cyber attacks, fraud or theft.
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The start of the 2016 NCAA men's D1 football season will be the third year of the new four-team playoff system. By and large, the playoffs have been a smashing success. Although there are always people who are going to quibble with the teams selected, the past two years have done an excellent job at placing the top teams in the nation in matches against one another. But forget about the controversy to come. Sadly, a little bit of bickering is just inevitable when you have literally hundreds of teams vying for four spots. Instead, let's focus on the four teams people predict are most likely to show up in the four-team playoff at the end of the regular season.
Now, we want you to be aware that these aren't picks we're claiming are set in stone. After reviewing dozens of expert opinions on where the teams stand, and looking at the schedules and sizing up the competition ourselves, we believe these four teams have a great chance at making the playoff when it's all said and done.
Ohio State - #1 In Preseason Polls
The Ohio State Buckeyes Considered to be the second-best coach in the NCAA, after Alabama's Nick Saban, Urban Meyer has his team playing some great football every year. The Ohio State Buckeyes actually went undefeated three seasons ago, but couldn't play for the National Championship due to some rules broken that kept them out of bowl contention. Even still, the Buckeyes rode that wave the very next season and made it into the four-team NCAA playoff, where they defeated the Florida State Seminoles easily and had a come from behind victory against the Alabama Crimson Tide to win the National Championship. Then, last year, they were literally a last-second field goal away from repeating in the playoffs, if not for a Michigan State Spartans miracle that kept them out. Although Ohio State has lost players like Braxton Miller and Ezekiel Elliot, they still have J.T. Barrett and the luxury of playing in the Big 10. The Big 10 is probably the weakest of the power-five conferences, with only Michigan and Michigan State to really make noise. However, M. State has lost most of its fire power, and the Iowa Hawkeyes aren't expected to repeat their same level of success. Ohio State should end up with the Big 10 championship, and even as a two-loss team, this title could get them into the playoff.
Alabama - Always A Solid Bet
“Roll Tide, roll!” shouts millions of Alabama fans across the nation, and those shouts might become deafening before this season is said and done. This will be the third year of the NCAA playoffs, and it might be the third year that the Alabama Crimson Tide are invited. They have earned their spot in previous years the hard way. They have won the SEC Championship, and last year they had far and away the toughest schedule not only of the year but in the history of bowl-era football. After an early season loss to Ole Miss, Alabama really buckled down and beat five separate teams ranked in the top 25, and then they crushed Michigan State in the playoffs and squeaked past the Clemson Tigers for a National Championship. They lost some key pieces. Although they didn't have a stellar QB, he still aged out, and they also lost Derrick Henry to the NFL, their record-setting Heisman Trophy RB, who broke records set in the SEC by Herschel Walker and Bo Jackson. How does that sort of talent get replaced? According to most who keep their eyes glued to 'Bama ball, the Tide have an even better O line this season, and the running backs Saban picks up are always good. Alabama is last on this list because it will be tougher for them than any other school. Their conference is like the NFL compared to other conferences. While the other teams on this list have one or two good schools to face off against, Alabama is walking a gauntlet of half a dozen great programs. Though with new blood at the QB and RB positions, behind a stronger offensive line, we can't see Alabama losing more than one game, which means they'll likely play for the SEC Championship. If they win that, they're a shoo-in for the playoff.
Oregon Ducks
The Pac 12 started to come on last season as a conference that could rival even the SEC for dominance. With Stanford, USC and schools like Oregon, this is a packed conference with a lot of talent. Oregon, however, may be the best the Pac 12 has to offer this season. One of the measures working in the Pac 12's favor, above all others, is that they do crown a champion, unlike the Big 12, so whomever stands out as the Pac 12 champion will likely end up in the playoff, barring an undefeated coming out of the ACC or a lesser conference. Senior quarterback Dakota Prukop is unproven on the field, as he was playing with Heisman Trophy winner Mariota and behind last year's QB Vernon Adams. But Prukop is intimately familiar with the offense, and the run and gun style of the Ducks should ultimately prove too much for USC and Stanford. If they can eek it out past those other good schools in the Pac 12, then you should be looking at an Oregon Ducks team invited to the playoff as the Pac 12 champions. One thing that's working in Oregon's favor as per their schedule is that they get key home games this season, and once you add in a more stifling defense than seasons past, this might be what the Ducks need to outscore their opponents.
Baylor Bears
The Baylor Bears in football put up scores like you're watching a basketball game. Unfortunate for the Bears these past two seasons, however, is the fact that the other competition in the Big 12 hasn't been thought of very well. This was changed last year when the Oklahoma Sooners were invited to the playoff despite the Big 12 not crowning a champion. Even better was the fact that the Sooners made it there as a one-loss team, so the committee was not demanding perfection from the Big 12, as many had assumed they would. This opens the door for a high-flying Baylor team that can put up 50 points on the scoreboard as easily as most other teams put up 10. Baylor was cleaning up last year until the injury bug bit, and bit hard. Chris Johnson is healthy and expected to be the starting QB this season, and that goes a long way to ensuring that Baylor can outscore its opponents. TCU, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and West Virginia are all good schools, but Baylor should have a leg up on them. Unfortunately, Baylor likely will have to go undefeated to get the bid, or at least hope that their one loss is to a school that's ranked in the top 10 when the season's over. If they can accomplish either of those feats, then Baylor might be able to punch its ticket and be the second Big 12 school to make the playoff.
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