College Football Playoff odds for the 2026-27 season are available at top online sportsbooks. Heading into the season, Ohio State () is favored to win the title at most online sportsbooks. They are followed closely by Notre Dame () and Texas (). Depending on the sportsbook, you’ll see some combination of Georgia (), Indiana (), and Oregon () rounding out the top five.
College football odds to win the national championship
The table below has the latest odds on the winner of the next college football national championship from online sportsbooks across the country. Clicking any of the odds will take you to the sportsbook where you can place that wager.
Favorites to win the 2026-27 college football national championship
Here are the best College Football Playoff odds for some of the favorites:
- Ohio State
- Notre Dame
- Texas
- Oregon
- Georgia
- Indiana
- Miami
These odds don’t exactly match up with the preseason AP Top 25 Rankings, which feature the same teams at the top but place the Buckeyes first with Oregon second and Georgia third, followed by Notre Dame and Texas.
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College Football Playoff format changes and recent history
The College Football Playoff started in 2014. Prior to that, college football used the Bowl Championship Series and the BCS national championship game to determine an overall winner each season. The four-team system, in which two bowl games from among the New Year’s Six served as the semifinal games, will give way to a 12-team format beginning with this season, which is important to know when learning how to bet on college football.
The five highest-ranked conference champions will receive automatic bids. The remainder of the field will consist of the seven remaining highest-ranked squads. The clubs will then be seeded from No. 1 to No. 12, with the four top seeds receiving a bye for the first round. The CFP is set to begin on Dec. 18 and conclude with the national championship game on Jan. 25, 2027.
- First round: Dec. 18-19 (campus sites)
- Quarterfinals: Dec. 30-Jan. 1 (Fiesta, Peach, Rose, and Cotton bowls)
- Semifinals: Jan. 14-15 (Orange and Sugar Bowl)
- National championship: Jan. 25 (Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas)
SEC teams were the original force in the College Football Playoff era, winning six of the first nine titles. They continue to be well represented in the CFP Semifinals, but over the past three seasons, the Big Ten has been represented by its champion. Most recently, it was Indiana knocking off Miami to go 16-0 and win the National Championship.
| Season | Date | Winning team | Losing team | Other semifinalists |
| 2014 | Jan. 12, 2015 | Ohio State | Oregon | Alabama, Florida State |
| 2015 | Jan. 11, 2016 | Alabama | Clemson | Oklahoma, Michigan State |
| 2016 | Jan. 9, 2017 | Clemson | Alabama | Washington, Ohio State |
| 2017 | Jan. 8, 2018 | Alabama | Georgia | Oklahoma, Clemson |
| 2018 | Jan. 7, 2019 | Clemson | Alabama | Oklahoma, Notre Dame |
| 2019 | Jan. 13, 2020 | LSU | Clemson | Oklahoma, Ohio State |
| 2020 | Jan. 11, 2021 | Alabama | Ohio State | Clemson, Notre Dame |
| 2021 | Jan. 10, 2022 | Georgia | Alabama | Cincinnati, Michigan |
| 2022 | Jan. 9, 2023 | Georgia | TCU | Michigan, Ohio State |
| 2023 | Jan. 8, 2024 | Michigan | Washington | Alabama, Texas |
| 2024 | Jan. 20, 2025 | Ohio State | Notre Dame | Penn State, Texas |
| 2025 | Jan. 19, 2026 | Indiana | Miami | Ole Miss, Oregon |
Important college football dates
The 2025-26 college football season closed on Jan. 19, when Indiana beat Miami 27-21 to finish 16-0 and claim its first national championship. Below are the important dates for the 2026-27 campaign.
- Aug. 29: Regular season begins (Week 0)
- Nov. 24-28: Final week of the regular season
- Dec. 4-5: Conference championships
- Dec. 12: Army-Navy game
- Dec. 18-19: First round of CFP
- Dec. 30-Jan. 1: CFP quarterfinals
- Jan. 14-15: CFP semifinals
- Jan. 25: National championship game
College Football Playoff FAQs
Under the most recent format, a selection committee chose the four semifinal teams. That will change in 2024-25, when the five highest-ranked conference champions will get automatic spots in the playoffs, as will the six remaining highest-ranked teams.
Yes. Futures odds are available before the start of the season. Odds will shift as play in the season begins and the potential playoff picture becomes clearer.
Alabama has won the title three times since the current format began in 2014, more than any other team. Georgia and Clemson have both won twice.