Odds provided by Sports Interaction.
2025-26 College Football National Championship Futures: Outright Winner
The Longhorns lead the pack at online betting sites with +475 odds. Ohio State sits at +525, while Georgia and Penn State both come in at +700. Although Notre Dame was in the National Championship last season, they have just +1200 odds
Texas (+475)
With Quinn Ewers now in the NFL, all eyes are on Arch Manning in Arlington. He showed glimpses of brilliance last season when Ewers was injured, and now, it’s his time to shine. The hype is certainly real with Texas, who have serious title aspirations. After all, they have made the CFP in each of the last two seasons. The Longhorns clash with Big Ten standouts Ohio State in Week 1, which is going to be their toughest game of the season, but Steve Sarkisian’s group managed to steer clear of SEC giants Alabama, LSU, and Ole Miss, who will all be their competition for the SEC title. Texas goes as far as Manning takes them, and he’ll have to find chemistry with a new-look WR room and offensive line after a plethora of players left for the NFL.
Ohio State (+525)
Although they’re the National Championship title-holders, there isn’t a ton of hype surrounding the Buckeyes. That’s likely because their roster was completely stripped from the NFL draft, with over a dozen key players making the jump to the pro level. But, Ryan Day managed to recruit well and keep Ohio State competitive. Week 1 will be a difficult matchup against Texas as Julian Sayin likely steps in as QB1 this season, with standout WR Jeremiah Smith still in Columbus. He’ll be a major factor.
Georgia (+700)
The Bulldogs won the SEC Championship last year but lost in the quarterfinals of the 12-team College Football Playoff to Notre Dame. QB Carson Beck decided to transfer to Miami to replace Cam Ward, which means it’s Gunner Stockton under center. While he’s seen limited playing time, Stockton has been around the program for a few years. Kirby Smart is a proven winner, and he remains around. As long as he is, Georgia is going to remain competitive. They should make the CFP again, at the very least.
Penn State (+700)
The Nittany Lions are one of the only contenders who actually kept their QB, as Drew Allar returns. He played very well last year and led Penn State to the semifinals before losing to Notre Dame. James Franklin’s team also has their running back duo of Kaytron Allen and Nick Singleton still in the fold. On the defensive side of the ball, the Nittany Lions have a nice core of players coming back to College Park. Penn State is one to watch after falling just short earlier this year.
Clemson (+900)
Clemson is an interesting team this season. QB Cade Klubnik is a Heisman Trophy contender and he has an extremely talented WR corps to work with, with Bryant Wesco leading the way. The Tigers are the best team in the ACC by a mile and return a ton of key players from last season. They have serious experience and Klubnik is shaping up to be special. Clemson is worth a look.
National Championship Futures Picks
This will be the first of many this season, but before the campaign begins, I’m really liking Texas and Clemson as a dark horse. I do think Ohio State will go far, but they will fall short of repeating.
Picks: Texas (+475), Clemson (+900)/Sports Interaction
