Odds provided by Sports Interaction.
2026 National Championship Futures: Outright Winner
Ohio State (+225)
The Buckeyes looked well on their way to a perfect season before the CFP, but Indiana’s Cinderella story continued in the Big Ten Championship Game, beating Ohio State 13-10. Nevertheless, Ryan Day’s squad is still a legitimate contender to win back-to-back national titles, and they will have a bye into the quarterfinals due to their No.2 ranking in the field. The winner of Texas A&M vs Miami will face the Buckeyes. Indiana is definitely their biggest roadblock to winning it all, and the bracket's setup gives them a chance to get revenge against the Hoosiers in a potential title game.
Indiana (+275)
Indiana is truly one of the feel-good stories of the college football season. Over the last few years, they’ve gone from irrelevant to a national championship contender. The arrival of Fernando Mendoza was a game-changer for the Hoosiers, who fell short in the CFP last season. They proceeded to have an unbeaten season in 2025, and they’re one of the top teams in the country on both ends of the field. Mendoza just beat out Julian Sayin for the Heisman, and he leads a very inspired Indiana squad into the College Football Playoff. Ohio State is their toughest test en route to a title, but they’ve already shown they can beat them. The Hoosiers get either Alabama or Oklahoma in the Rose Bowl on January 1.
Georgia (+500)
The Bulldogs can never be counted out in the CFP. Under Kirby Smart, they’ve had boatloads of success, winning back-to-back national titles in 2021 and 2022. Georgia finished the ‘25 campaign with a 12-1 record overall, and they got revenge on Bama in the SEC Title Game, blowing them out of the water in Atlanta. The Bulldogs head into the CFP as the No. 3 seed, and they will take on the winner of Tulane vs Ole Miss. Georgia earned a bye into the quarterfinals as well.
Oregon, Texas Tech Ones to Watch
The Ducks are the No. 5 seed in the College Football Playoff after a season that saw them go 11-1. They finished the season with six wins in a row and beat Washington in their finale. Oregon is a top-15 team on both sides of the ball, and they will face James Madison in the first round. Texas Tech, meanwhile, is the final team to clinch a bye into the quarters, coming in as the No. 4 seed. The Red Raiders were 12-1 this season, and they blew a lot of their opponents out of the water. Texas Tech scored 42.5 PPG while allowing just 10.9 per contest. They’re one to watch.
2026 National Championship Picks
There are a lot of good teams in the College Football Playoff, but I’m all aboard the Indiana train. Mendoza is a star, he has lots of weapons around him, and they have a strong defense as well. I’ll take the Hoosiers to complete the Cinderella run with a title.
Picks: Indiana +275/Sports Interaction
