2026 College Football National Championship Odds: Ohio State Opens as Favorite

Reed Wallach | Jan 20, 2025

Jan 20, 2025; Atlanta, GA, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day celebrates after winning the CFP National Championship college football game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

On the heels of a National Championship, oddsmakers are bracing for a back-to-back run from Ohio State.

The Buckeyes won the 2025 National Championship against Notre Dame on Monday night, 34-23, the first ever in the 12-team College Football Playoff era. While some key cogs will be gone off the title winning roster, the Buckeyes are favored to win the National Championship again with Jeremiah Smith powering the offense.

As we finish the most recent season and get ready for next season, let's take stock with the current pecking order in the eyes of oddsmakers with the early betting odds that have Ohio State slightly ahead of the rest of the pack.

2026 National Championship Odds

• Ohio State: +450
• Texas: +650
• Oregon: +650
• Georgia: +700
• Penn State: +850
• Notre Dame: +1200
• Alabama: +1600
• Tennessee: +1800
• Clemson: +1800
• LSU: +2000
• Ole Miss: +2300
• Texas A&M: +3100
• Michigan: +3500
• South Carolina: +4000
• Miami (Florida): +4000
• Florida: +5000
• Auburn: +5000
• SMU: +6000
• Louisville: +6000
• Oklahoma: +6500

Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook

Ohio State Favored to Repeat as National Champions

On the heels of a National Championship victory, Ohio State will enter 2025 the favorites to repeat yet again. 

While there will be some key pieces gone off the roster, the Buckeyes ability to invest in the transfer portal and have among the most talented teams in the country makes the team worthy of top billing as the offseason officially begins. Most importantly, Ohio State will return star wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, who emerged as arguably the most talented wide receiver in the nation in his freshman season. 

Ohio State proved that in a new college football landscape, teams can evolve over the regular season, and the competition will continue to be fierce as the Buckeyes were the No. 6 seed following a two loss regular season before blitzing the postseason field. 

The Buckeyes will face the second choice on the oddsboard, Texas, in Week 1 next season in Columbus as the team ushers in the Arch Manning era in Austin. 

Behind Ohio State is Big Ten foe Oregon and Penn State as well as title game opponent Notre Dame, who are all priced inside of +1200. 

While the SEC had a down year relative to lofty expectations after years of dominating the sport, the league still has plenty of contenders in the early odds to win the title. Georgia is the fourth choice at +700 with Alabama and Tennessee not far behind, inside of +2000. 

There’s still plenty of fallout from the National Championship and as we turn the page to next season, this is a great starting point to begin framing the following season. 

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Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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