The Indiana Hoosiers accomplished a 16-0 season and the first national title in school history after opening the year at 100-1. But, the Hoosiers aren't favored to go back-to-back. Instead, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish are +600 favorites at FanDuel in the 2026 National Championship odds despite missing the College Football Playoff. The Ohio State Buckeyes (+650), Texas Longhorns (+700) and Hoosiers (+700) follow closely.
2026 College Football National Championship Odds
| Teams | Odds |
|---|---|
| Notre Dame Fighting Irish | +650 |
| Ohio State Buckeyes | +650 |
| Indiana Hoosiers | +700 |
| Texas Longhorns | +700 |
| Oregon Ducks | +900 |
| Georgia Bulldogs | +1000 |
| Louisiana State Tigers | +1200 |
| Texas Tech Red Raiders | +1400 |
| Texas A&M Aggies | +1600 |
| Alabama Crimson Tide | +2000 |
Odds as of February 1st, 2026 05:51am EST. |
Notre Dame is in the mix. The Irish bring back CJ Carr at quarterback, who will have a crucial year of experience under his belt after nobly finishing his freshman season on a 10-game streak. After being left out of the CFP this year, the expectation hasn't wavered. Marcus Freeman has snagged major players from the portal so far, headlined by former five-star recruit Keon Keeley from Alabama, Ohio State wide receivers Quincy Porter and Mylan Graham, and a handful of defensive reinforcements.
Even after falling short this season, the Buckeyes still have quarterback Julian Sayin coming back, who will no longer have the freshman nerves, along with star WR Jeremiah Smith. Thanks to elite talent and Ryan Day’s proven success, 26-4 SU over the past two seasons with a national title, Ohio State remains a fixture near the top of the futures board, opening inside the top three of national championship odds for nine straight seasons.
After abandoning Ole Miss in the playoffs, Lane Kiffin joins LSU and plants them around +3500, which tells you exactly how oddsmakers view them: dangerous, but not fully trusted.
Locking in an early futures bet? Check out our college football betting sites to find the best book for you.
Last 10 College Football National Champions
| Year | Team | Opening Odds | Postseason Odds |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Indiana Hoosiers | +10000 | +130 |
| 2024 | Ohio State Buckeyes | +325 | +275 |
| 2023 | Michigan Wolverines | +800 | +185 |
| 2022 | Georgia Bulldogs | +200 | -165 |
| 2021 | Georgia Bulldogs | +800 | -225 |
| 2020 | Alabama Crimson Tide | +600 | -200 |
| 2019 | LSU Tigers | +5000 | +300 |
| 2018 | Clemson Tigers | +600 | +350 |
| 2017 | Alabama Crimson Tide | +300 | +400 |
| 2016 | Clemson Tigers | +700 | +600 |
| 2015 | Alabama Crimson Tide | +800 | +120 |
The SEC conference has claimed six of the last national titles over the last decade. By the looks of it, sportsbooks do a decent job with their opening odds. Only one program had early odds of +1000 or higher, the Buckeyes in 2014.
College Football Teams with the Most National Titles
| School | Number Of Championships | Latest Win |
|---|---|---|
| Yale | 18 | 1927 |
| Alabama | 16 | 2020 |
| Princeton | 15 | 1922 |
| Notre Dame | 13 | 1988 |
| Michigan | 10 | 2023 |
| USC | 9 | 2004 |
| Harvard | 8 | 1919 |
| Ohio State | 8 | 2014 |
| Oklahoma | 7 | 2000 |
Despite not having hoisted the trophy since 1927, Yale was a wagon, picking up 14 titles by the turn of the 20th century.
In terms of modern-day history, the Tide has passed the torch as a dynasty. With the help of Nick Saban, Alabama pocketed six championships between 2009 and 2020.
College Football National Championship Betting Trends
- The betting favorites have won and covered the spread in five straight seasons between 2020 and 2024.
- The UNDER is 7-3 across the last 10 national championship meetings.
- Since being introduced in 2014, Alabama has had the most CFP experience with eight appearances (9-5 SU). In that span, they've collected three national titles, lost in finals three times, and fallen in semi-finals twice.
How to bet on the college football national championship
When it comes to big events for any sport, you can bet on futures months in advance, including which team will win the national championship. Each week, oddsmakers will update the odds to reflect how a squad is doing. If a team is plagued with injuries, their chances of making it to the final game slim down. A surging squad will see its odds skyrocket.
When you go to a college football sportsbook, you’ll see the betting lines laid out like this:
- Georgia +175
- Alabama +300
- Ohio State +350
Georgia opens as the fave since the Bulldogs have the lowest odds. The Crimson Tide and Buckeyes are considered underdogs.
If you believe that Georgia has the best chance of winning the championship, and you bet $100 on them, you'd get a payout of $275 – your original $100 is returned along with your winnings of $175. Our odds calculating tool will show you how much you'd win based on the odds and amount bet.
When you see futures odds that you like, it's best to jump on them early. As mentioned above, betting sites will adjust the odds as we get closer to bowl season and teams move up and down in the standings.
