NCAAF national championship odds update: It's Iowa's time

The gulf between the two best teams in the country — Alabama and Georgia — and everybody else is widening.

The top two SEC programs could not have been more impressive Saturday, and their odds to win the College Football Playoff National Championship reflect that.

The Crimson Tide and Bulldogs were at the top of the odds board (+150) last week, and they inched to +125 after dominating wins over undefeated ranked challengers Ole Miss and Arkansas, respectively.

But is there still value left in the market? Let's take a look.

Iowa vs. Penn State is this week's showdown

It is surprising that No. 3 Iowa (+5000) is twice the price of No. 4 Penn State (+2500) to win the national title.

Not only is Iowa favored to win their matchup in Iowa City on Saturday, but this wager isn't just about this weekend — it's about what is ahead.

If Penn State takes down Iowa this weekend, the Nittany Lions still have three ranked teams on their regular-season schedule — No. 7 Ohio State, No. 9 Michigan, and No. 11 Michigan State — and two other teams on their schedule have winning records (4-1 Maryland and 3-2 Rutgers).

Iowa has zero ranked squads on its schedule after this weekend and those teams have a combined record of 14-17 and a 4-10 mark in Big Ten play.

Could Penn State be better than Iowa? Sure. Do the Nittany Lions have a better scenario to go undefeated and make the CFP than the Hawkeyes? They do not.

Cincinnati jumps up the board

After one of the most significant wins in program history — a double-digit victory at Notre Dame — Cincinnati moved from +8000 to +3300 to win the national title.

There is still a major hurdle for the Bearcats to overcome — the CFP committee's likely bias against an AAC contender — but that is out of their control.

Luke Fickell's squad will give any team in the country a fight, and the No. 5 Bearcats deserve a shot at the biggest prize if they can finish the season undefeated, and they should.

Say adios to the Pac-12

Oregon (+3300), Arizona State (+6600), and UCLA (+10000) are in the top 13 on the odds board, but let's not get it twisted.

The Pac-12 is done.

With Oregon's loss to Stanford and UCLA's defeat to Arizona State, the conference is going to miss out on the CFP for the seventh straight season.

Don't wager on a Pac-12 team in this market. You'd be better off burning your money. At least that would provide some warmth.

Movers and shakers

One of the biggest jumps in the market this week was Texas, which moved from +5000 to +2800.

Why would a team ranked 21st in the AP poll move into the No. 6 spot on the odds board after an uninspiring, tight win against TCU?

It's anticipatory. The Longhorns will take on No. 6 Oklahoma this weekend, and if they win, their national profile will improve significantly.

But don't be fooled, and learn from what happened to Ole Miss. The Rebels jumped all the way up to +2500 in anticipation of a huge matchup with Alabama, and got absolutely demolished in Tuscaloosa. Ole Miss is now +15000 to win the national title.

Texas doesn't have anything close to the talent required to go all the way. There are so many better options out there at bigger prices.

One of those teams at a better price is No. 10 BYU (+25000).

The undefeated Cougars have a long way to go, and haven't looked dominant at any time this season, but if they can keep winning until the return of injured quarterback Jaren Hall, they could have an outside shot.

If you're unfamiliar with Hall, take a gander at some of his highlights. He is legitimately one of the most exciting players in college football.