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Analysis

Make-the-Playoff Value: Georgia, Florida, USC

Make-the-playoff markets track the title board, and only Georgia, Florida and USC trade at or below model fair value right now, all three priced on Kalshi.

By The Model Desk · 2026-09-27
Analysis
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Key takeaways
  • Georgia is the only top-tier contender trading below fair value: 14c on Kalshi against a 14.2% model read.
  • Florida screens underpriced at 5c on Kalshi versus 5.1% fair value, a rare tail contract priced under the model.
  • USC sits at 1c on Kalshi against 1.1% fair value, the cheapest underpriced ticket on the board.
  • Ohio State, Texas and Notre Dame all trade at 13c above fair value, so the title-board proxy flags them as rich, not cheap.
  • All three underpriced names are cheapest on Kalshi, concentrating the value at a single venue.

The contenders trading at or below model fair value are Georgia, Florida and USC. Every other name on the board carries a best price above its fair value, which leaves those three as the only tickets a make-the-playoff market read flags as underpriced rather than rich.

There is no separate published make-the-playoff price here, so the national-title board serves as the proxy. Title fair value and playoff equity draw on the same power ratings and schedule inputs, so a contract trading under its title fair value is the market shading a team's deeper-run odds. The gap between best price and fair value is the signal.

Which playoff contenders are underpriced?

Georgia leads the underpriced group. The model's fair value is 14.2%, and the best price is 14c on Kalshi, so the market is paying below the model for the board's top-rated team. That is the cleanest expression of value at the front of the field.

Florida is the tail-tier case. Fair value sits at 5.1% and the best price is 5c on Kalshi, a rare instance of a mid-board contract printing under the model rather than over it. USC completes the set at 1c on Kalshi against 1.1% fair value, the smallest ticket but still on the correct side of the line.

The common thread is venue: all three underpriced contracts are cheapest on Kalshi. The value is not scattered across exchanges; it is concentrated at one book, which simplifies where a title-board proxy trade would sit.

Where the board trades rich

The top of the market is where price runs ahead of the model. Ohio State and Texas both carry an 11.7% fair value yet trade at 13c, on Kalshi and Polymarket respectively. Notre Dame is priced the same at 13c against 11.1% fair value. Three contenders share the 13c line, and all three sit above the model.

The pattern continues down the board. Miami trades at 9c against 8.7%, Indiana 8c against 6.7%, LSU 6c against 5.5%, Oregon 5c against 4.1%, Alabama 3c against 2.8%, and Ole Miss 2c against 1.1%. Each of those is a small-to-moderate premium, but the direction is consistent: the field is priced over fair value, not under it.

That makes Georgia, Florida and USC the exceptions rather than the rule. A make-the-playoff market that inherits these same relationships would show most contenders costing more than their modeled chance, with value pooled in a short list.

Fair value versus best price

The chart below sets the model's fair value against the best available price for the three underpriced names plus the 13c cluster. The underpriced contracts hug or dip under their fair-value line; the rich cluster sits above it.

Reading the board this way keeps the focus on the gap, not the headline number. A 14c Georgia ticket and a 1c USC ticket occupy different tiers, but both share the trait that matters: price at or under model fair value.

Fair value vs best price: underpriced names and the 13c cluster
Georgia FV14.2%
Ohio State FV11.7%
Texas FV11.7%
Notre Dame FV11.1%
Florida FV5.1%
USC FV1.1%

How to read the value from here

The takeaway is narrow by design. Prices and the model can both be wrong, and a proxy read from the title board is not a substitute for a dedicated make-the-playoff line. But when the board offers only three contracts at or below fair value, that short list is where the model and the market disagree in the trader's favor.

Georgia is the highest-conviction of the three on model terms, Florida the mid-tier value, USC the longshot. All three are cheapest on Kalshi, where code FADE offers up to $500 on $25 traded. Nothing here is financial advice; it is a read on where price undercuts the model today.

TeamsGeorgiaFloridaUSCOhio StTexasNotre Dame
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Frequently asked questions

Which playoff contenders are underpriced right now?

On the title board, the cleanest available proxy for playoff equity, only Georgia, Florida and USC trade at or below model fair value. Georgia is 14c against 14.2%, Florida 5c against 5.1%, and USC 1c against 1.1%.

Why use the title board to read make-the-playoff value?

Title fair value and make-the-playoff odds share the same underlying inputs, so a contract trading below its title fair value signals a market underpricing that team's deeper-run equity. The title board is the liquid market with published fair values here.

Where are the underpriced contenders cheapest to trade?

Georgia, Florida and USC are all cheapest on Kalshi. Kalshi's new-account code FADE offers up to $500 on $25 traded.

Is Ohio State underpriced in playoff markets?

No. Ohio State trades at 13c against an 11.7% fair value, so the title-board proxy reads it as rich rather than cheap, alongside Texas and Notre Dame at the same price.

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.