The marching bands, the roaring fans, and the smell of fresh-cut grass from the stands… these are a few of many people's favorite things about college football! With the start of the season right around the corner, it's time to take a deep dive into our college football odds series where our CFB playoff finalists prediction and pick will be revealed.

The conclusion of the 2022 season saw the Georgia Bulldogs win their second national championship in a row and will be looking to pull off a three-peat for the first time since Minnesota did it way back when from 1934-1936. Since the inception of the College Football Playoff in 2014, six of the nine eventual champions have reigned from the SEC Conference. Nevertheless, there will be plenty of other talented schools both in the SEC and even in other conferences that will attempt to dethrone the Bulldogs in 2023.

Here are the college football odds, courtesy of FanDuel. 

College Football Odds: 2023 CFB Playoff Finalists

Georgia: -220

Michigan: +125

USC: +250

Florida State: +380

*Watch college football LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*

Why Georgia Will Make it to the College Football Playoff 

Georgia, like Alabama before them, has become the poster boys of college football. Even more fitting, head coach Kirby Smart is a direct disciple of Nick Saban as the former was a part of the Crimson Tide coaching staff as their defensive coordinator from 2008-2015. Simply put, Kirby learned quickly about what it takes to be a champion under Saban and quickly installed that into his own team when taking the Georgia gig in 2016. Since then, the 47-year-old head coach has compiled a remarkable 81-15 in Athens.

Of course, the Bulldogs enter 2023 with plenty of turnovers and an absurd amount of talent left for the NFL draft (ten players to be exact), but Georgia is known for reloading their roster. The experience lost at the quarterback position with the departure of Stetson Bennett will prove to be a tough blow, but it will be up to junior Carson Beck to fill the large shoes of his predecessor. While Beck lacks the mobility that Bennett has, he clearly has much more arm talent. With only 35 passing attempts under his belt in 2022 that resulted in four touchdowns with no interceptions, Beck will be the sole reason why Georgia will rehab the College Football Playoff yet again as a possible Heisman Finalist.

Why Michigan Will Make it to the College Football Playoff 

With all of the hype surrounding the Wolverines in 2023, there hasn't been a failure of controversy either. After many allegations over recruiting violations under Jim Harbaugh, Michigan decided to self-impose a four-game suspension upon their head coach. If Michigan is going to clinch a berth to the CFP for the third consecutive year, then they will have to survive nearly a third of the season without their general. Luckily, Michigan's non-conference slate isn't overbearing by any means as they will square off with  East Carolina, UNLV, and Bowling Green before kicking of Big Ten play at home versus Rutgers.

With a more than soft non-conference schedule, it only makes sense that Michigan believes that this season could be their best chance to win a National Championship for the first time since 1997. The two biggest reasons why Michigan will make the playoff in 2023 will be in large part due to a dominant offensive line that could be the best in the nation and a returnee at QB in J.J. McCarthy that many in Ann Arbor believe could end up being the top signal caller in the nation by the end of the season. Indeed, McCarthy wasn't too shabby a year ago as well as he enters his junior season. With another year of experience, McCarthy should see his overall passing mechanics and accuracy improve and polish into respectable form.

Why USC Will Make it to the College Football Playoff

If there is one name in all of college football that can excite like no other, look no further than reigning Heisman Winner Caleb Williams who some are considering to be one of the best NFL draft prospects at the quarterback position in recent memory. Willians dazzled the college football universe in 2022 en route to account for a whopping 52 total touchdowns when his season finally ended. Because of Williams' historic campaign, USC ranked third in the nation in total offense (506.6 YPG) and also averaged the third-most points per game in all of the land at 41.4. In short, this offense is surely electrifying enough to win the whole darn thing.

Unfortunately, if there was one area of weakness that remains a major question mark heading into the fall, it is the Trojans' defense. Just like the typical-led Lincoln Riley team, USC lacked largely on the defensive end of the football especially near the tail end of the season when they couldn't cover, tackle, or shed blocks to stop offenses. In the Pac-12 Championship and Cotton Bowl, USC gave up an alarming 93 points with both games ending up in crushing defeats. This team has the makings to have a special season IF the defense can pick up the slack and not force the Trojans to have to outscore each opponent in shootouts to come away victorious.

Why Florida State Will Make it to the College Football Playoff

One of my personal sleepers entering the new season, is it to early to say that Florida State is back? Maybe. But man oh man, this team looks good on paper. In 2o22, the sheer sample size of talent was there, but a midseason slump resulting in three straight losses to Wake Forest, NC State, and Clemson ultimately ended any hopes of at least a chance at an ACC title. Fortuitously, the Seminoles turned a corner shortly after by winning the remaining six of their games including a nail-biting 35-32 win over Oklahoma in the Cheez-It Bowl. Impressively enough, FSU out-scored their opponents 218-77 over that span.

Give credit where credit is due, head coach Mike Norvell has done a tremendous job in revitalizing a proud program that won only five games in 2021 and doubling their win total from a year ago. I might start sounding like a broken record at this point, but the importance of competent play under center cannot be stressed enough. In the case of FSU's quarterback room, there is no denying that the Seminoles have a keeper in Jordan Travis. Although his name isn't as well known as some of the quarterbacks listed above, he still put together the seventh-best QBR in the nation. If you don't happen to have a dynamic field general in your midst, then this sport will eat you up.

Additionally, be on the lookout for names like senior defensive tackles Fabien Lovett and Braden Fiske to gobble up the line of scrimmage and eliminate teams' running games. Alas, a stout run defense could be a secret weapon for the Seminoles.

Final 2023 CFB Playoff Finalists Prediction & Pick

Even though the likes of Alabama and Clemson aren't on this list, it is time for other programs to step up their play. College football is finally here. Bring it on!

Final 2023 CFB Playoff Finalists Prediction & Pick: Georgia (-220), Michigan (+125), USC (+250), Florida State (+380)