2025-26 College Football National Championship Odds: Best Bets and Darkhorse Picks

Following Monday night's 2025 National Championship Game, the college football season is officially wrapped with the Ohio State Buckeyes defeating the Notre Dame Fighting Irish 34-23.

College football fans will now have to wait about seven months before the 2025-26 season kicks off, but it's never too early to look ahead. FanDuel Sportsbook's 2026 national championship odds had its final notable shift following Monday's national title contest. The market has some interesting tidbits already.

Let's look at FanDuel's college football championship odds for the upcoming season. Which teams stand out as the best bets?

2026 College Football National Championship Betting Odds

Ohio State (+450)

Starting with the defending champions, the Ohio State Buckeyes are the early favorite to win it all in 2026. However, there are plenty of questions surrounding this squad.

As many as 16 players could be selected in the 2025 NFL Draft. This roster is expected to undergo wholesale changes, and probably the biggest question is the imminent change at quarterback -- a battle likely decided by former five-star recruits Julian Sayin and Tavien St. Clair.

Texas (+650)

Perhaps the most intriguing team entering the 2025-26 season is the Texas Longhorns. While the roster has sustained plenty of departures, Arch Manning is finally in line to start. This roster will still be loaded with talent from Manning to edge rusher Colin Simmons.

The Longhorns gathered more postseason experience under their belts in the 2024-25 season. A leap could be imminent, and the 2025-26 campaign begins with a road trip against Ohio State.

Oregon (+650)

Ahead of the 2025 College Football Playoff, the Oregon Ducks were the betting favorite to win it all. Following a bye, Oregon had a massive letdown in a 41-21 loss against the Buckeyes in the Rose Bowl.

The defending Big Ten champions still have more than enough talent to bounce back in the 2026 College Football Playoff. Impactful transfers like quarterback Dante Moore, guard Emmanuel Pregnon, and offensive tackle Isaiah World paired with incoming five-star recruits Dakorien Moore and Na'eem Offord should play big-time roles.

Georgia (+700)

The 2024-25 Georgia Bulldogs didn't exactly look like what we are used to. Some of that was due to a weak receiving corps, which was emphatically addressed by landing the second-best wide receiver in the transfer portal -- Zachariah Branch.

An improved receiving corps should help, but the Dawgs still feature a long list of questions after 17 players declared for the 2025 NFL Draft.

Penn State (+850)

Next to Texas, the Penn State Nittany Lions are quite interesting too. Similar to the last two national champs -- Michigan and Ohio State -- Penn State will feature a ton of experience next season as quarterback Drew Allar paired with running backs Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen passed up on the 2025 NFL Draft to return for senior seasons.

After making the College Football Playoff Semifinals, perhaps coach James Franklin has taken a step in winning the big games. However, the postseason wins came against SMU and Boise State. The Nittany Lions should be one of the nation's best teams once again in the 2025-26 season, but will they finally win against heavy hitters?

Notre Dame (+1200)

The 2024-25 campaign was one heck of a season for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. It ended on a sour note in the National Championship, but the Irish certainly have one of college football's best coaches in Marcus Freeman.

Similar to this past season, Notre Dame will have little room for error by not playing in a conference. There should still be plenty to love about this program with running back Jeremiyah Love returning, and quarterback Steve Angeli looked sharp in a brief appearance in the Orange Bowl against Penn State. Most importantly, the Irish proved they can hang with the big boys after defeating Georgia and Penn State in the 2025 playoff.

Alabama (+1600)

The Alabama Crimson Tide fell short of the 2024-25 College Football Playoff, but this roster is still loaded with talent. Jalen Milroe may be onto the NFL, but the Tide are replacing him with the second-best recruit from the 2025 class -- Keelon Russell.

Assuming Russell starts as a true freshman, he will be pitching to one of the best wideouts in college football, Ryan Williams. Considering the talent across the roster, eyeing the +1600 line to win it all makes sense.

Best Bets to Win the 2025-26 College Football National Championship

Texas to Win the 2025-26 College Football National Championship (+650)

If I have to circle one team as the best bet to win it all, it's Texas. The Longhorns were one of the three best teams in college football from start to finish in 2024-25, and they did it while having quarterback Quinn Ewers underperform.

Arch Manning will take over the starting job with unreal potential. He can add some mobility to this offense while still having the arm to hit any throw under the sun. We know this squad still has a ton of talent, including wide receiver Ryan Wingo and running back CJ Baxter -- who was expected to have a breakout 2024 season prior to a season-ending knee injury. Manning, who has the second-shortest odds to win the 2025 Heisman Trophy (+950), will have a healthy stable of talented skill position players.

Defensive coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski proved his worth in the 2024-25 season. This should remain one of the nation's best defenses with a loaded front seven, featuring Colin Simmons, Trey Moore, and Anthony Hill. All-American safety Michael Taaffe returning for a final season certainly helps this unit, as well.

Few teams will be able to match Texas' talent next season, and after a let down in the 2025 College Football Playoff, the 2025-26 season could be the Longhorns' turn to win it all.

Clemson to Win the 2025-26 College Football National Championship (+1800)

Among darkhorse options, the Clemson Tigers stand out. I know, we've heard about Clemson being back to national relevance for years. But this time I'm truly a believer.

Quarterback Cade Klubnik is returning and figures to be one of college football's best best, proven by his third-shortest line to win the Heisman (+1100). A lack of receiving options have hurt the Tigers since 2021, but that seems to be finally coming to an end thanks to Antonio Williams, Bryant Wesco Jr., and T.J. Moore. This should be one of college football's best passing attacks next season, and that gives you a chance against anybody.

The defense will likely be the deciding factor for Clemson's hopes to return as a contender. After Tom Allen made a lateral move from Penn State to be the Tigers' defensive coordinator, there's true potential for this unit to return to dominance. It was a young unit in the 2024-25 season and improved coaching should spark improvement.

Dabo Swinney remains in elite company as one of three active coaches to win a national title. Getting Clemson with legitimate upside in a weak ACC at +1800 to win it all could prove to be one of the best bets of the offseason. We will quickly learn about the Tigers as they host the LSU Tigers in Week 1.

LSU (+2000) is another dark horse to keep an eye on. The South Carolina Gamecocks (+4000) and Florida Gators (+5000) are a couple of SEC teams also trending to battle for a 2026 College Football Playoff spots paired with long odds to win it all.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.