College football 2026-27 national title odds: Ohio State, Notre Dame lead crowded pack

Indiana’s national championship is a sign of the changes that have happened to college football in the last several years. However, it’s still Ohio State that is opening as the favorite to win the national title next year, ahead of other big-name programs such as Notre Dame and Texas.

The Buckeyes have +600 (6-to-1) odds on BetMGM to win it all. OSU is ahead of three schools that are just behind at +700: Notre Dame, Texas and Oregon.

Ohio State and Notre Dame met for the national title a year ago. Oregon has made the College Football Playoff each of the last two years, and Texas made it to a semifinal last year. All four are bringing back starting quarterbacks.

The Hoosiers, fresh off their first national championship, round out the top five, just a tick behind at +800.

It’s no surprise to see Ohio State as the favorite. The Buckeyes are bringing back Heisman Trophy finalist quarterback Julian Sayin and elite wide receiver prospect Jeremiah Smith. OSU is going to lose a lot of NFL talent from its stout defense but has the headline stars to expect another strong team. The Buckeyes were 12-0 this season before losing back-to-back games, first in the Big Ten Championship Game and then the CFP.

Notre Dame was a source of plenty of controversy because of its exclusion from this season’s CFP, but the Irish have been a consistent contender under coach Marcus Freeman. Running back Jeremiyah Love is headed for the NFL, but quarterback CJ Carr was impressive as a freshman and could even be a Heisman contender next year.

As for the freshly crowned Hoosiers, there will be a lot of new faces. Heisman winner Fernando Mendoza is expected to be a top pick in the NFL Draft, and IU will also lose its top two running backs, standout wide receiver Elijah Sarratt and likely some NFL talent off its defense, which was dominant for most of the CFP. However, coach Curt Cignetti has, of course, been active in the transfer portal. Quarterback Josh Hoover (TCU) and wide receiver Nick Marsh (Michigan State) highlight IU’s portal haul.

Can Indiana prove to be a consistent winner? Cignetti has done nothing to make anyone think otherwise, but a lot of stalwarts from the last two seasons will be gone. At least for now, the betting odds imply IU should be a top-five team in the preseason.

Texas coming in so high is going to make some eyes roll after the Longhorns were the preseason No. 1 team last season and failed to live up to that hype. Arch Manning will enter 2026 with a year of starting experience under his belt, plus the Longhorns added former Auburn wide receiver Cam Coleman out of the transfer portal. If the offensive line shows improvement, the weapons are there for Texas to be good, although many will be more skeptical than they were entering 2025.

As for Oregon, it’s going to take some time to stop focusing on the Ducks’ getting obliterated by Indiana in the semifinal, but quarterback Dante Moore is returning to Eugene instead of going pro. He had a strong first year as a starter, even if memories of his tough showing in that semifinal will linger.

The rest of the top 10 is Georgia (+900), LSU (+1500), Texas A&M (+1500), Texas Tech (+1500) and Alabama (+1500). LSU’s inclusion on this list shows faith in Lane Kiffin having a quick rebuild. After his dramatic coaching move from Ole Miss to LSU, Kiffin landed quarterback Sam Leavitt out of the transfer portal from Arizona State.

Miami is just outside the top 10 at +2000 (20-to-1). The Hurricanes were one drive away from potentially winning this year’s national title and will bring back wide receiver Malachi Toney but will have a new quarterback with Carson Beck running out of eligibility.

These are the favorites for now, but plenty can still change before teams take the field in August. Indiana just won the national title after being at 100-to-1 before the season, so who knows whether there’s another surprise in store next year.

College football 2026-27 national championship odds

Odds per BetMGM