College Football Odds & Predictions: Ohio State, Notre Dame Favorites To Win 2026-27 National Championship

With the college football season about to get underway, every team is technically on equal footing at 0-0. However, while everyone has the same record, odds of winning the national championship this season range from +550 to +125000 at FanDuel. At +125000, we are talking about a 0.08% shot; at +550, it equates to a 15.38%.

The payout at +125000 would be life-changing. But such a bet will most likely not pay off and is not an advisable wager. So, let’s discuss a few that are after we take a look at the national championship odds for many of the top contenders.

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NCAAF FBS Championship Winner 2026-27

Here are the odds heading into Week 0 for the 15 teams with the best odds (FanDuel). It is worth noting that odds don’t necessarily align with a team's AP Top 25 ranking. So, it is entirely possible a lower-ranked team could have better odds than a higher-ranked one:

• Ohio State +550
• Notre Dame +600
• Oregon +750
• Georgia +800
• Texas +850
• Indiana +900
• Miami +1100
• Texas Tech +2000
• Oklahoma +2000
• Ole Miss +2200
• LSU +2500
• Alabama +2500
• Texas A&M +2700
• USC +3500
• Michigan +4000

It is not surprising to see blue blood programs like Ohio State, Oregon, Notre Dame, Georgia, and Texas at the top of the rankings and with shorter odds than most. Each has a history of reloading their respective rosters in the offseason. So, we tend to expect them to take a step forward rather than a step back.

If recent history is any indication, bettors may want to pay attention to teams at or near the top of betting boards. Since the first CFP in 2014, nine of 12 national championship winners had preseason odds shorter than +1000 (ranging from +250 to +800). Only three winners had odds longer than +1000: Ohio State in 2014 (+4000), LSU in 2019 (+2500), and Indiana last season (+10000).

So, should we ignore teams with odds longer than +1000? Not necessarily because history has shown us that teams do emerge from relative obscurity and win it all. Prior to the CFP Era, from 2001 to 2013, six of 13 winners had odds longer than +1000 in the preseason.

You could focus on just the top teams in the rankings with shorter odds, but you may miss out on a heck of an opportunity. On that note, let’s take a look at my favorite, sleeper, and long shot picks.

CFB National Championship Prediction: Notre Dame +600

Since the CFP’s first season in 2014, preseason national championship odds have had 3-6 teams with odds shorter than +1000. Of those teams in 12 seasons, nine went on to win the title that season. So if you want to focus on those teams, history is on your side. For this season, that means going with either Ohio State, Notre Dame, Oregon, Georgia, Texas, or Indiana.

Of those six teams, I think I have to go with Notre Dame.

The Fighting Irish have eight starters back from a defense that held teams to under 100 yards rushing and 200 yards passing a game (17.6 ppg allowed). They don’t have as many returning players on offense, with six. But they have some very important pieces back in, i.e., QB CJ Carr, WR Jordan Faison, and four starters on the offensive line.

Replacing talent is never easy, but Marcus Freeman has a solid track record as a recruiter. With the talent it added from the portal, the defense could very well pick up where it left off. On the offensive side, the Irish may need some time to figure things out. But with a veteran quarterback, offensive line, and that defense, they’ll get it.

Last season, they lost to the title game runner-up, Miami, in their opener by a field goal (27-24). The following week, they lost to another CFP team, Texas A&M, by a point. But then they rattled off 10 wins in a row, all by double digits. They were a couple of plays from being a CFP team last year.

If this year’s squad lives up to the hype, Notre Dame will do a lot more than just make the CFP this season. They’ll have a great shot to win the school’s first national championship since 1988.

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CFB National Championship Pick: Sleeper — Texas A&M +2700

The Aggies finally broke through last season and became the CFP contender that fans and analysts had been expecting for years. But can they reload and do it again? Texas A&M has been a good team and often ranks near the top with its recruiting classes. But it does have a lot of production to replace with only five starters back on defense and four on offense.

TAMU did a solid job mining the portal for talent (No. 4 portal class). Through it, the Aggies rebuilt the offensive line and added some talented receivers. Rueben Owens is back to lead what should be an excellent ground attack. With the players they added on defense along with past recruits, that unit is expected to be even better this season.

Defense is Mike Elko’s specialty. It showed last season, as A&M was second in the nation in sacks and tackles for a loss. But the key will be in getting the offensive line to gel and get everyone on the same page before the schedule gets tough.

However, it will not be enough just to reload and be as good as it was last season. This year, they Aggies have to face Alabama, Oklahoma, and Texas again. They’ll need to win at least two of those games to have a shot at the CFP. But if all the new starters gel quickly, the defense picks up where it left off, and QB Marcel Reed can take a big step forward, the Aggies will become national championship contenders.

CFB National Championship Pick: Longshot — USC +3500

I tried to find someone I could make a good argument for to be this year’s Indiana. But I couldn’t. I could not find a team outside of the top 25 or with odds longer than +3500 I could make a solid argument for.  But USC … the Trojans may be getting seriously overlooked here.

When Lincoln Riley ditched Oklahoma for the West Coast, a mountain of expectations came with him. His offense was good enough to make Oklahoma a title contender. It was hard not to imagine what he could do with the resources USC had to offer. Now that the noise has finally subsided, he may finally have a team that can live up to them.

His offense could very well become the best in the nation. With nine returning starters, including quarterback Jayden Maiava and his offensive line, this unit could pick up where it left off. Maiava led an offense that scored 44.2 points per game last season. This one could be even better. The USC defense was good last season (22.4 points per game allowed), but not great. However, if the Trojans can score 44+ points a game again, they will only need a defense that is "good enough."

With a challenging schedule (No. 19 in strength of schedule), the Trojans will have to prove themselves worthy. Right now, they have five ranked teams on the schedule, including three in the top 10. Beat two of the top 10 teams (Oregon, Ohio State, or Indiana), and USC will make the CFP and have a good shot at winning it all.