The Ohio State Buckeyes and Notre Dame Fighting Irish have yet to play the 2025 National Championship Game as the season reaches its end, but the betting odds for the 2026 College Football Playoff’s winner have already been released. Ohio State is the current leader at +450, while the Oregon Ducks, Georgia Bulldogs, and Texas Longhorns are tied at +650, the second-best odds to win the title.
Ohio State is favored to beat Notre Dame on Monday with the spread set at 8.5 points, and oddsmakers believe that the Buckeyes have what it takes to win consecutive national championships under coach Ryan Day.
Behind Ohio State is Oregon, Texas, and Georgia, and all three teams will feature a new starting quarterback in the 2025 regular season. The Ducks are expected to replace quarterback Dillon Gabriel with Dante Moore. Longhorns quarterback Quinn Ewers officially declared for the NFL Draft, giving Arch Manning his chance to lead the offense.
Lastly, Bulldogs quarterback Carson Beck transferred to Miami instead of entering the NFL Draft, leaving Georgia coach Kirby Smart with a decision to make. Will Gunner Stockton start for the Bulldogs in 2025?
Oregon’s offense will return wide receiver Evan Stewart and tight end Kenyon Sadiq, but the Ducks will lose valuable starters to the NFL Draft like offensive tackles Josh Conerly Jr. and Ajani Cornelius, wide receiver Tez Johnson, and tight end Terrance Ferguson. On defense, Oregon will be without defensive linemen Jordan Burch, Derrick Harmon, and Jamaree Caldwell, cornerback Jabbar Muhammad, and linebacker Jeffrey Bassa.
Still, the oddsmakers have faith in Ducks coach Dan Lanning to lead his team back into the College Football Playoff.
Oregon is bringing in nine total transfers from the portal: running back Makhi Hughes (Tulane), wide receiver Malik Benson (Florida State), and tight end Jamari Johnson (Louisville), offensive linemen Isaiah World (Nevada), Emmanuel Pregnon (USC), and Alex Harkey (Texas State), as well as safety Dillon Thieneman (Purdue), defensive lineman Bear Alexander (USC), and cornerback Theran Johnson (Northwestern).
MORE: Most Valuable College Athletic Programs: Oregon Ducks’ $780 Million, SEC Dominates
MORE: Miami Hurricanes’ Carson Beck To Make More NIL Money Than Denver Broncos Bo Nix
MORE: Former Washington, Texas Receiver Johntay Cook II Transfer to Oregon Ducks?
At Texas, star quarterback Arch Manning is expected to lead coach Steve Sarkisian’s offense with the Longhorns. The highly anticipated prospect has some experience filling in for an injured Ewers during the season, but Texas only used Manning as a rushing threat in the later part of the season. In limited action, Manning threw for 939 yards, nine touchdowns, and two interceptions with an additional four rushing touchdowns.
In addition to Ewers, fellow key Longhorns have entered the NFL Draft, like offensive tackle Kelvin Banks Jr. as well as wide receivers Isaiah Bond and Matthew Golden. On defense, Texas will be returning linebacker Colin Simmons, linebacker Trey Moore, and cornerback Malik Muhammad.
Kirby Smart‘s Bulldogs will be replacing NFL Draft talents like offensive lineman Tate Ratledge, EDGE Mykel Williams, linebacker Jalon Walker, and safety Malaki Starks, but several Georgia players are returning as well: defensive lineman Christen Miller, cornerback Daylen Everette, tight end Oscar Delp and wide receiver Dillon Bell.
Still, the odds favor the current depth and recruiting level of Georgia, Texas, and Oregon to place them behind Ohio State as favorites to win the 2026 National Championship. Behind the Bulldogs, Longhorns, and Ducks are the Penn State Nittany Lions with odds of +850 in 2026. As for the Fighting Irish, they have the fourth-best odds and are tied with Alabama at + 1400.
Penn State will return starting quarterback Drew Allar as well as running backs Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen, yet Nittany Lions coach James Franklin’s team is still behind conference foes in Ohio State and Oregon, according to oddsmakers in Las Vegas.
MORE: Oregon Ducks’ Dillon Gabriel Lands New NIL Deal: $1.9 Million NIL Valuation
MORE: Oregon Ducks Battling Georgia, Alabama, Ohio State: 5-Star Quarterback Jared Curtis
MORE: Oregon Ducks 5-Star Receiver Dakorien Moore Compared to Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith
This embedded content is not available in your region.Nate Tice and Charles McDonald dive deep into every matchup of the Divisional Round, looking at both sides
Texas A&M football: How Kyle Field got its nameKyle Field has been revamped several times and can now easily fit more than 100,000 people. Here is a history
The Texas A&M Aggies landed a stellar group of wide receiver transfers in the NCAA Transfer Portal over the last weeks, headlined by Texas Tech freshman Mic
Jan 16, 2025, 04:38 PM ETThe 2024 fantasy football season was defined by big performances, emerging stars, first-round busts and all the drama that makes fantas