Lines for potential CFB playoff matchups: Ohio State favored over LSU, Clemson

Find line reports, best bets, and subscribe to push notifications in the Betting News section.

Ohio State is back on top of the College Football Playoff rankings, and oddsmakers like the team in a matchup with anyone in the field.

The top-ranked Buckeyes would be favored head-to-head over any team in the potential playoff field, according to lookahead lines released this week. Ohio State has won all 11 of its games by double digits - including last week's victory over No. 10 Penn State - and will be a heavy favorite this week at No. 13 Michigan and in the Big Ten title game.

Not including Ohio State, six teams this century have won their first 11 games by at least double digits. Only one (Florida State, 2013) captured the national title.

Clemson has looked equally dominant as of late and gets the nod from oddsmakers over any team not named Ohio State - including LSU, which sits one spot ahead of Clemson. LSU is a short 'dog to those two but is giving at least a field goal to everyone else, while fifth-ranked Alabama gets the next-most love in the early lines.

Here are six of the most interesting matchups on the board that involve the top six teams in the most recent rankings.

Ohio State (-2.5) vs. LSU

Here's the matchup everyone wants to see: Joe Burrow versus Justin Fields. LSU's unstoppable offense versus Ohio State's immovable defense. Chase Young versus ... whoever can slow down Chase Young. It's the mismatch on the other side of the ball that gives the Buckeyes the edge, though LSU's defense is talented enough to rise to the occasion in a potential title clash. A fiery Burrow facing his old team can't be discounted, either.

Clemson (-1) vs. LSU

This line may have bettors scratching their heads if they only check the CFP rankings. Go to the tape, though, and you'll see a Clemson team that appears every bit as dominant as the one that won the title a year ago. Dabo Swinney's Tigers own an average scoring margin of 52.5-9.7 over the last five games and they're higher than LSU in PFF rankings, too. After a slow start, a post-hype Clemson team may have more value than anyone in the field.

Ohio State (-2.5) vs. Clemson

While oddsmakers like Clemson over LSU, they price both teams as 2.5-point underdogs in a matchup with the Buckeyes, whose defense seemingly neutralizes any advantage for the opponent. Clemson's rushing attack is potent, but it may not be enough against Ohio State's top-rated run defense unless Trevor Lawrence rediscovers his fifth gear from last year's title run.

LSU (-3.5) vs. Alabama

This is the most curious line on the board, given how thoroughly LSU outplayed Alabama with Tua Tagovailoa on the other side. No disrespect to Mac Jones, but he's not the right guy to take advantage of the Tigers' defensive weaknesses, and the Crimson Tide are yet to prove they can stop a passing offense like LSU's. Take the Tigers in a rematch that could easily happen in a few weeks.

Alabama (-6) vs. Georgia

Georgia is the fourth-best team in the committee's eyes, but oddsmakers still perceive a sizable gap between Alabama and the rest of the field, even without Tagovailoa. The Crimson Tide are giving a touchdown in this game - which likely wouldn't happen unless Clemson lost - and are favored by eight over Utah and 10 over Oklahoma. The latter makes sense given Alabama's stoutness against the run, though these hypothetical lines may be slighting the Utes' elite defense given the Tide's big question mark on offense.

Clemson (-14.5) vs. Utah

This game features the biggest spread of any potential matchup, even higher than a theoretical Ohio State (-10.5) versus Utah playoff game. That order should be flipped - Utah features PFF's worst-graded offensive line of any playoff contender, which would face the daunting task of stopping the Buckeyes' dominant pass rush. Clemson's NFL-ready unit could do a number on that O-line, too, but not like Ohio State's.

C Jackson Cowart is a betting writer for theScore. He's an award-winning journalist with stops at The Charlotte Observer, The San Diego Union-Tribune, The Times Herald-Record, and BetChicago. He's also a proud graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill, and his love of sweet tea is rivaled only by that of a juicy prop bet. Find him on Twitter @CJacksonCowart.