Redshirt
Analysis

CFB Title Fades: Ohio State's 13c Tops Fair Value

The model fades the priciest national-title contracts: Ohio State at 13c against 11% fair value tops the board, while Texas at 7c reads closest to fair.

By The Model Desk · 2026-09-09
Analysis
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Key takeaways
  • Ohio State's national-title contract trades at 13c on Polymarket against an 11% model fair value, the widest premium on the board.
  • LSU (10c vs 8.5%), Miami (9c vs 7.8%), Indiana (10c vs 8.9%) and Notre Dame (12c vs 10.9%) all price above the model's fair value.
  • Texas at 7c on Polymarket sits fractionally below its 7.1% fair value, the only top-eight team not carrying a premium.
  • Oregon (11c vs 10.9%) and Georgia (8c vs 7.7%) price close enough to fair to read as neutral rather than fades.
  • Polymarket holds the best price on Ohio State, LSU, Miami and Texas, while Kalshi leads on Notre Dame, Oregon, Indiana and Georgia.

The model fades Ohio State hardest right now. At 13c on Polymarket, the Buckeyes' national-title contract trades roughly two points above the model's 11% fair value, the widest premium on the current board.

The rest of the fade list runs through the top of the market. LSU, Miami, Indiana and Notre Dame each sit a point or more above their modeled probability. Texas is the rare favorite priced at or below fair, which is where value actually sits.

Which title contracts trade above fair value?

A fade is simply a contract whose best available price sits above the model's fair value. Converting cents to implied probability (13c reads as roughly 13%), the gaps cluster at the top of the board rather than in the longshot tier.

Ohio State leads at 13c versus 11% fair, a premium near two points. Notre Dame (12c versus 10.9%), LSU (10c versus 8.5%), Indiana (10c versus 8.9%) and Miami (9c versus 7.8%) each carry a smaller but real markup. None is a large edge alone, but the direction is consistent: the market rounds favorites up.

Even the cheapest quote on Ohio State, Polymarket's 13c, still tops fair value, which is what makes it the cleanest fade on the board.

Best price, top title contracts
Ohio State13c
Notre Dame12c
Oregon11c
LSU10c
Indiana10c
Miami9c

Why do favorites carry the fattest premium?

Two forces explain the markup. First, title boards carry overround: summed across every team, contract prices add to more than 100%, so the field as a whole trades rich and the heaviest names absorb the most of it. Second, favorites attract the most flow, and price tends to firm where attention concentrates.

The venue split reinforces it. Polymarket holds the best price on Ohio State, LSU, Miami and Texas; Kalshi holds Notre Dame, Oregon, Indiana and Georgia. The fade signal survives even after taking the cheapest quote across both books, which is the relevant test.

Where does value still sit?

Texas is the counterpoint. Its 7c price on Polymarket sits fractionally below the model's 7.1% fair value, the only top-eight team not trading at a premium.

Oregon at 11c against 10.9% and Georgia at 8c against 7.7% are close enough to fair to read as neutral rather than fades. Below them, Oklahoma (3c versus 2.8%), USC (3c versus 2.7%) and Alabama (2c versus 1.9%) round in the same direction the favorites do, just at a smaller absolute cost.

The chart below lines up the model's fair value across the top of the board, where the price premiums are being applied.

Model fair value, top title contracts
Ohio State11%
Notre Dame10.9%
Oregon10.9%
Indiana8.9%
LSU8.5%
Miami7.8%
Georgia7.7%
Texas7.1%

How to read these fades

Fading a contract means selling or avoiding it at the current price, not buying the premium. The edges here are small, one to two points, so they matter most in aggregate or as a filter for which side of a contract to take. A one-point overprice on a single favorite is noise; the same tilt across five of the top six names is a pattern.

Both books that set these prices run standing offers: Polymarket's TGSWC (deposit $20, get a $50 trading bonus) and Kalshi's FADE (trade $25, get up to $500). Prices and the model can both be wrong, and none of this is financial advice.

TeamsOhio StLSUMiamiIndianaNotre DameTexas
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Frequently asked questions

What does it mean when the model fades a title contract?

A fade is a contract whose best available price sits above the model's fair value, meaning the market is paying more for the outcome than the model thinks it is worth. It is a signal to sell or avoid the price, not to buy the premium.

Which national-title team does the model fade most right now?

Ohio State. Its best price of 13c on Polymarket implies about 13% against a model fair value of 11%, a premium of roughly two points, the widest on the current board.

Which title contract is priced closest to fair value?

Texas. Its 7c price on Polymarket sits just below the model's 7.1% fair value, making it the only top-eight favorite not trading at a markup.

Why do favorites carry the biggest premium?

Title boards carry overround, so summed prices exceed 100% and the heaviest names absorb most of it. Favorites also draw the most flow, and price firms where attention concentrates.

Where are these prices set?

Across Kalshi and Polymarket. Polymarket holds the best quote on Ohio State, LSU, Miami and Texas, while Kalshi leads on Notre Dame, Oregon, Indiana and Georgia.

About the author
The Model Desk

The Redshirt Analytics modeling team prices every college football futures contract and tracks the gaps between fair value and live market prices on Kalshi, Polymarket and ProphetX.