Way-Too-Early Favorites to Win the 2026-27 College Football National Championship

College football fans don’t need much encouragement to start talking about the next season. The transfer portal has slowed down, recruiting classes are largely in place, and sportsbooks have already released their opening national championship odds. As always, there will be surprises between now and the first College Football Playoff rankings, but a handful of programs have already separated themselves from the pack.

Some are built around returning star quarterbacks, while others rely on loaded recruiting classes and experienced coaching staffs. Based on the latest odds, returning production, and preseason expectations, these five teams deserve to be considered the favorites heading into the 2026 season.

Ohio State Buckeyes

It’s hard to argue with Ohio State opening as one of the favorites. The Buckeyes return one of the nation’s most explosive players in wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, while quarterback Julian Sayin enters the season with valuable experience after earning Heisman consideration a year ago. Ryan Day has also proven he can reload almost every season, which is why Ohio State continues to sit near the top of the championship odds.

The schedule won’t be easy. Road trips to Texas, Indiana, Iowa, Nebraska, and USC leave very little room for mistakes. Even so, few programs can match Ohio State’s combination of talent, depth, and recruiting. If the Buckeyes replace the key pieces they lost on defense, they’ll have every opportunity to compete for another national championship. Ohio State’s odds win the national championship are +575 at SportsBetting.ag sportsbook.

Texas Longhorns

Everything in Austin revolves around Arch Manning. After an inconsistent start to last season, Manning looked much more comfortable during the second half of the year and now enters 2026 as one of the leading Heisman candidates. Steve Sarkisian also surrounded him with more talent by adding wide receiver Cam Coleman and running back Raleek Brown through the transfer portal, giving Texas even more firepower on offense.

The biggest question remains the running game and offensive line consistency. If those areas improve, the Longhorns have enough talent on both sides of the ball to challenge anyone in the country. It’s easy to understand why Texas sits near the top of every preseason poll and futures board. Texas’s odds to win the national championship are +600 at SportsBetting.ag sportsbook.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish

Notre Dame enters the season with perhaps the fewest unanswered questions among the nation’s top contenders.

Quarterback CJ Carr returns after gaining valuable experience last season, and the Irish welcome back much of a defense that developed into one of college football’s best units. Marcus Freeman also strengthened the roster through the transfer portal, adding several impact players while bringing in another highly regarded recruiting class.

Notre Dame has spent the past few seasons knocking on the championship door. With an experienced quarterback, improved depth, and one of the country’s better defenses, many believe this could finally be the year the Fighting Irish end their long national title drought. Notre Dame’s odds to win the national championship are +650 at SportsBetting.ag sportsbook.

Oregon Ducks

Oregon continues to recruit at an elite level, and the Ducks once again have the roster to make a serious playoff run. Quarterback Dante Moore returns after another productive season, and despite breaking in new coordinators, Dan Lanning has assembled one of the deepest teams in college football. Oregon’s ability to reload every offseason has become one of the program’s biggest strengths.

The Ducks also bring back plenty of speed on defense, giving them balance that many championship contenders lack. If the coaching transition goes smoothly, Oregon should spend most of the season in the playoff conversation. Oregon’s odds to win the national championship are +750 at SportsBetting.ag sportsbook.

Georgia Bulldogs

It almost feels strange not seeing Georgia sitting atop the preseason rankings, but writing off Kirby Smart has rarely been a smart decision. Quarterback Gunner Stockton returns alongside running back Nate Frazier, giving the Bulldogs a strong offensive foundation. Georgia also remains one of the nation’s premier recruiting programs, so replacing departing talent has rarely been a major issue.

The schedule features difficult road trips to Alabama and Ole Miss, and there are some new faces in the secondary that will need to develop quickly. Even with those questions, Georgia has too much talent to overlook. As long as Kirby Smart is on the sideline, the Bulldogs belong in every national championship discussion. Georgia’s odds to win the national championship are +850 at SportsBetting.ag sportsbook.

There are plenty of other programs capable of winning it all. Defending national champion Indiana will once again be dangerous, while Alabama, LSU, Texas A&M, and Miami all have the talent to make deep playoff runs. But entering July, Ohio State, Texas, Notre Dame, Oregon, and Georgia appear to have the strongest combination of coaching, quarterback play, roster depth, and championship expectations. The season is still weeks away, but the race for the national title is already beginning to take shape.