College Football National Championship Odds 2026: Co-Favorites Texas, Ohio State To Play Week 1

The two teams with the shortest College Football Playoff odds lead the college football national championship odds ahead of the season, and it won't be long before we see them square off. Texas and Ohio State play in Week 1, the opening Big Noon Kickoff game on FOX at Ohio Stadium in Columbus on Aug. 30.

With Heisman Trophy odds favorite Arch Manning leading the Longhorns, and the Buckeyes being the defending champions, the college football national championship odds at are college football betting sites could be shaken up as soon as the season starts. 

📊 Live college football national championship odds 2026

Our 2026 college football national championship odds update in real time based on the odds from our best sports betting apps.

📈 College football national championship betting insights

College football betting insights via BetMGM.

Highest ticket percentage

• Texas: 12.1%
• Ohio State: 9.5%
• Clemson: 8.4%

Highest handle percentage

• Texas: 17.3%
• Penn State: 11.1%
• Ohio State: 9.5%

Biggest liability

• Texas
• Clemson
• Penn State

Notable bets

• $300,000 to win $1.5 million on Texas to win the College Football Playoff
• $300,000 to win $1.5 million on Penn State to win the College Football Playoff
• $115,000 to win $1.49 million on Clemson to win the College Football Playoff

🤖 College football national championship AI prediction

For entertainment purposes, we asked ChatGPT, a popular large language model chatbot, to analyze historical trends and college football stats before predicting the winner of this year's college football national championship. Our AI prediction projects Ohio State to win the College Football Playoff National Championship.

🖥️ AI college football national champion prediction: Ohio State (+600)

🏈 Elite returning core: Despite losing several players to the NFL, Ohio State returns arguably the best pair of young stars in college football: All-Americans Jeremiah Smith and Caleb Downs
🏈 Favorable QB transition plan: Julian Sayin, the five-star redshirt freshman, steps in at quarterback, and the Buckeyes have built a plug-and-play system around their signal-caller, with Sayin drawing rave reviews from spring camp
🏈 High-stakes tests build playoff readiness: Ohio State opens with Texas, plays Penn State in November, and finishes the regular season at Michigan, three likely top-15 opponents - while that’s a brutal draw, it offers playoff-quality preparation

🤔 Betting takeaway: ChatGPT's AI prediction would mean Ohio State (+600 via FanDuel) repeating as college football national champions. ChatGPT is a large language model and not specifically designed for predicting sporting events, so these projections should be viewed as entertainment or a supplementary data point for your college football betting research.

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🎯 AI long shot college football national championship prediction

🔱 Arizona State (+12000)

🏈 Big 12 champ with a favorable schedule: Arizona State enters the season as the defending conference champs, and their 2025 schedule is notably advantageous, as they avoid matchups against conference heavyweights Kansas State and BYU
🏈 Returning offensive talent: The Sun Devils retain key offensive players, including quarterback Sam Leavitt and wide receiver Jordan Tyson, who are both viewed among the best in the nation at their positions 
🏈 Momentum from a breakthrough season: Building on their success from making last year's CFP, Arizona State's recent achievements have elevated the program's profile, and with a blend of seasoned players and strategic advantages, they are well-positioned to make a significant impact in the national championship race

🔢  College football national championship opening odds

Odds via DraftKings.

• Ohio State (+450)
• Texas (+500)
• Georgia (+550)
• Oregon (+750)
• Penn State (+900)
• Alabama (+1200)
• Notre Dame (+1600)
• Clemson (+2000)
• LSU (+2000)
• Tennessee (+2000)
• Miami (+2500)
• Ole Miss (+2500)
• Michigan (+3000)
• Texas A&M (+3500)
• South Carolina (+4000)
• Florida (+6000)
• Oklahoma (+7000)
• USC (+7000)
• Auburn (+8000)
• SMU (+8000)
• Arizona State (+9000)
• Kansas State (+9000)
• Colorado (+10000)
• Florida State (+10000)
• Louisville (+10000)
• North Carolina (+10000)
• Iowa State (+12000)
• Utah (+12000)
• BYU (+15000)
• Indiana (+15000)
• Nebraska (+15000)
• Virginia Tech (+15000)
• Arkansas (+20000)
• Boise State (+20000)
• Illinois (+20000)
• Iowa (+20000)
• Missouri (+20000)
• Syracuse (+25000)
• Baylor (+25000)
• Georgia Tech (+25000)
• Kansas (+25000)
• NC State (+25000)
• TCU (+25000)
• Wisconsin (+25000)
• Kentucky (+30000)
• West Virginia (+30000)

💰 College football national championship betting history

❓ College football national championship FAQs

Who is favored to win the 2026 college football championship?

Ohio State and Texas are co-favorites to win the 2026 college football national championship. Their odds (+600) imply a 14.29% probability that one of them will win it all, according to our odds calculator.

Who won the college football championship last year?

The Ohio State Buckeyes won last year's CFP National Championship, defeating the Notre Dame Fighting Irish 34-23 in Atlanta.

When will the college football championship be decided?

The 2026 college football national championship will be decided on Monday, Jan. 19.

Where will the college football championship take place?

The 2026 college football national championship will be played at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla.

Who has won the most college football championships?

Yale has won the most college football championships with 18. Alabama ranks second with 16 total victories, and the Crimson Tide's three championships in the college football playoff era also stand as the most.

🏈 College football odds pages

💵 Best college football betting sites:

Ready to bet on the College Football Playoff National Championship? Check out our best college football betting sites and the best sportsbook promos for the college football season:

• FanDuel Promo Code | Read our FanDuel Review
• DraftKings Promo Code | Read our DraftKings Review

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