College football 2016-17 National Championship odds

One of several teams with 100/1 odds, Texas head coach Charlie Strong is likely in a make-or-break year. The Longhorns failed to make a bowl game after the 2015 season but can hang their hat on beating Oklahoma in the Red River Showdown. Their recent recruiting classes haven't received great reviews relative to the rest of the state, so it remains to be see how much progress the Longhorns will see in 2016.

The Utes got off to a great start before tailing off in the second half of 2015, but head coach Kyle Whittingham is gaining national attention for rebuilding his program recently. They have much bigger ambitions after appearing in the Las Vegas Bowl after the last two seasons.

Head coach Clay Helton has some major turnover going into 2016, but USC also has plenty of blue-chip talent. Helton also hired his own staff, which could make a difference for the Trojans.

Head coach Bobby Petrino has his quarterback in Lamar Jackson, a possible star in the making after an up and down freshman season. It remains to be seen if Petrino has the talent around Jackson that can compete for hardware in 2016.

The Gators had a realistic National Championship path in head coach Jim McElwain's first season until quarterback Will Grier was suspended for taking a performance-enhancing substance. Grier is transferring, so the Gators will have to find another answer at quarterback.

The Huskies finished 7-6 after beating Southern Miss in the Heart of Dallas Bowl but return a young team led by starting quarterback Jake Browning. Head coach Chris Petersen has big expectations in his third season.

The Ducks will employ a new starting quarterback for the second year in a row, and their loss to TCU after leading 31-0 at halftime in the Alamo Bowl was a back-breaker. Oregon must find an answer at quarterback and also work to improve a shaky defense.

Oklahoma State was a College Football Playoff contender going into the last two weeks of the regular season, when its schedule turned and it was handled by Baylor and Oklahoma. A blowout Sugar Bowl loss to Ole Miss showed that the Cowboys weren't quite ready to handle the big boys, but quarterback Mason Rudolph should be able to build on last season's progress.

Head coach Jim Mora is hoping quarterback Josh Rosen can build on his up and down freshman season. The Bruins are coming off a sour loss to Nebraska in the Foster Farms Bowl, as well as late-season defeats to Washington State and USC.

There's quite a bit of turnover at TCU, most notably quarterback Trevone Boykin and star wide receiver Josh Doctson moving on. Head coach Gary Patterson has proved that he can deal with turnover, and the Horned Frogs have plenty of talent to show a potent offense in the Big 12 again next season.

The Bulldogs found plenty of critics after firing longtime head coach Mark Richt and hiring Alabama defensive coordinator Kirby Smart to replace him. The expectations are that much higher with Smart at the helm, along with star running back Nick Chubb returning from injury.

Gus Malzahn's team had a terribly disappointing season as the Tigers searched for their quarterback, but we've seen this school shock the world twice before. Auburn has continued to recruit strong classes and now must transfer that talent to the field again.

Some still say all-purpose running back Christian McCaffrey should have won the Heisman, and he'll have a chance to prove it again in 2016. Stanford does have questions at quarterback, but the offense ultimately is on McCaffrey's back.

Ole Miss loses significant talent with three likely first-round picks in the NFL draft, including top wide receiver Laquon Treadwell. Still, quarterback Chad Kelly has proved capable of leading the offense and gives the team a chance to compete again in the SEC.

The Spartans were overmatched by Alabama in the College Football Playoff and will have to find a new quarterback for 2016. Yet head coach Mark Dantonio has shown that he has staying power.

The Vols have a chance to be serious sleepers in 2016 after winning their last six games in 2015. Their four losses were all by one touchdown or less, and two of the opponents were eventually CFP teams. Coach Butch Jones has successfully revitalized the program.

Notre Dame fell short against Clemson during the regular season and was blown out by Ohio State in the Fiesta Bowl. Despite the rough patches, the Fighting Irish have a good problem at quarterback with two viable options and plenty of talent returning on defense.

Jim Harbaugh has completely changed expectations in Ann Arbor just one season into his tenure as head coach of the Wolverines. He's starting to add his own guys in year two, but the transition at quarterback will be key.

Head coach Les Miles was on the verge of getting fired late in the season, but there's still great optimism in Baton Rouge with the return of top Heisman candidate Leonard Fournette at running back and an elite recruiting class. Finding an answer at quarterback will likely be the difference between getting over the hump or having a finish similar to 2015.

The Seminoles will start their third quarterback in three seasons, but head coach Jimbo Fisher has put together several strong recruiting classes to get this team back to the promised land. The 'Noles have to get through Clemson in the ACC first.

It was another banner offensive season for the Bears in 2015-16, and who knows, we could be talking about them as the defending National Champs if starting quarterback Seth Russell didn't get hurt. A serious neck injury clouds his status, but they're as great a threat as any team to win it all if he can return healthy.

Perhaps the biggest disappointment of the season was that the Buckeyes couldn't repeat, but they still have the talent to make a comeback even with running back Ezekiel Elliott headed to the NFL. J.T. Barrett should go into the season as the starting quarterback, and head coach Urban Meyer has plenty of talent around him.

Oklahoma was a slight surprise for the College Football Playoff in 2015-16, but some considered the four seed as the front-runner before losing to Clemson. Quarterback Baker Mayfield returns, and head coach Bob Stoops has proved in the past that his program has staying power.

Clemson fell short in the Championship Game vs. Alabama, but quarterback Deshaun Watson gives the Tigers a chance by himself. Head coach Dabo Swinney has built a program that can compete every year.

Can the Crimson Tide repeat? Alabama would do so with a new quarterback and starting running back, but Nick Saban's roster is still jam-packed with talent, led by wide receiver Calvin Ridley.