With college football season on the horizon, ESPN Chalk's college football experts -- Phil Steele, "Stanford Steve" Coughlin and Chris Fallica -- combine to give you betting previews of the top 25 teams, according to the ESPN College Football Rankings. They break down each team's strengths and weaknesses, along with season win total bets and national title odds.
Odds from Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook as of Aug. 22.
Florida State Seminoles
National title odds: 7-1 (opened 15-1)
Season win total: 10
FPI win total projection: 10.7
Phil Steele
Strengths: Florida State goes three-deep with quality talent at almost every position. Last year the Seminoles ranked last in terms of experience, but this year they have 17 returning starters and lost just 15 lettermen; six of their eight units rank in my top 21 in the country, with four in the top 10.
Weaknesses: Florida State will be starting
Over/under (9.5): I have Florida State favored in all 12 games this season, so with the total at 10, I like the over.
National title odds (8-1): The Seminoles opened up at 15-1 to win the title and would have been a solid play. Unfortunately, they have been bet down to 7-1, and I don't like to play on teams at less than 10-1.
"Stanford Steve" Coughlin
O/U: In my opinion, the Seminoles have the most talent in the country. The expectations surrounding QB Francois feel a lot like that of a couple of years ago, when Jimbo Fisher started a kid by the name of Jameis Winston after he redshirted his freshman year; especially, when I hear Jimbo say stuff like, "When Francois plays, you'll like what you see," as he did at a Tallahassee QB Club event in early August.
What is very interesting to me about the Noles is how strong their résumé could be at the end of the season. They play two SEC-ranked teams in Ole Miss and Florida and then, of course, host Clemson. They also have the most electrifying player in the country, in my opinion, in RB Dalvin Cook. He's the biggest game-changer in the country and can go the distance from anywhere on the field. I expect him to win the Heisman Trophy this year and top his stats of last season, when he rushed for 1,691 yards and 19 touchdowns. You also can expect LB Derwin James to get all the love that former Noles DB Jalen Ramsey got the past couple of years. James is simply that special of a player.
National title odds: I mentioned how they have all the talent in the world, and I think they will get the benefit of the doubt when it comes to résumé comparison when that time comes later in the year. No play for me here at 7-1.
Chris Fallica
O/U (10): On paper, the Noles are loaded. Cook is one of the best players in the country, the defense should be nasty, and an experienced offensive line and wide receiving corps return. Give FSU a ton of credit for scheduling Ole Miss, as well as the annual game with Florida in nonconference play, but those games, along with matchups against Clemson, at Louisville and at Miami, certainly bring 10-2 or even 9-3 into play. A lean toward the under here, knowing the Noles have the talent to win them all.
National title odds (7-1): That's a real short price for a team that I think will face at least three other teams in the top 12. There actually could be a bit of a price boost if FSU loses to Ole Miss or Louisville. That would make me interested, as a win over Clemson would put the Noles in the mix; at 7-1, I'm not biting here.