Credit the NIL era, the expanded playoff field or longtime doormat Indiana winning the national championship last season, but the race to win the 2026 College Football Playoff National Championship is as wide open as any this century.
In the latest odds available at DraftKings, the Ohio State Buckeyes are the lukewarm favorites to win the college football national title, at +600. Notre Dame (+650), Texas (+750), Indiana (+800), Oregon (+800) and Georgia (+850) round out the top six choices on the board.
The +600 price on the Buckeyes is tied for the longest price on a preseason favorite since records started being kept in 2002. In 2016, Alabama entered that season as the +600 favorite. No other preseason favorite since '02 began the season longer than +450.
And that is the backdrop for the 2026 season in which teams from South Bend to South Florida believe they have a chance to lift the trophy come Jan. 25. But which one of those teams provides the best value in the futures betting market at the best sports betting apps? The answer to that question lies in the Pacific Northwest.
| Team | Odds |
| Ohio State | +600 |
| Notre Dame | +650 |
| Texas | +750 |
| Indiana | +800 |
| Oregon | +800 |
| Georgia | +850 |
| Miami FL | +1100 |
| LSU | +1800 |
| Texas A&M | +2000 |
| Texas Tech | +2200 |
| Alabama | +2500 |
| Ole Miss | +3000 |
| USC | +3500 |
| Oklahoma | +3500 |
| Michigan | +4000 |
The case for Oregon
The last three teams to win the national championship -- Michigan (in 2023), Ohio State ('24) and Indiana, all from the Big Ten -- have shared three main traits: a senior-laden roster, veteran quarterback and nasty defense.
This year that team is Oregon. Two seasons after going 13-1 and earning the No. 1 overall seed in the CFP bracket and one season after going 13-2 and reaching the CFP semifinals, coach Dan Lanning and the Ducks have assembled a roster filled with Sunday-level talent. Quarterback Dante Moore, center Iapani Laloulu, defensive linemen Bear Alexander, A'Mauri Washington and Teitum Tuioti and linebacker Matayo Uiagalelei all opted to bypass the NFL Draft to return to Eugene for one last shot at the national championship.
No player's return was more important than Moore's. The signal caller from Detroit comes back despite being widely regarded as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft after completing 296-of-412 passes for 3,565 yards and 30 touchdowns against 10 interceptions last season. His return, coupled with one of the best receiving corps in the country headlined by former five-star pass catcher Dakorien Moore, give the Ducks a chance to improve upon last year's offense, which tied for 10th in the country in scoring (36.9 points per game).
On the other side of the ball, Oregon features what is widely regarded as the best defensive line in the country. All four starters from last year return, led by Uiagalelei, a next-level pass rusher, and Washington, a 330-pound space eater. They are among eight returning starters on defense, which is tied for the most in the country. As good as Oregon was on defense last season (seventh in the nation at 273.7 yards per game allowed), it has the potential to be even better this season.
The Ducks have gone 26-3 over the last two seasons, and the only teams to have beaten Oregon have gone on to win the national championship: Ohio State in 2024 and Indiana twice last year. The last loss, to the Hoosiers in the Peach Bowl, came when the Ducks were dealing with major health issues at running back.
This fall, the Ducks have a manageable Big Ten schedule. Their toughest road games figure to come at USC (Sept. 26) and at Ohio State (Nov. 7). But they avoid Indiana and get Michigan (Nov. 14) at home. They are likely to be favorites against every opponent except for the Buckeyes, and even a 10-2 record should be enough to get Oregon into the bracket come December.
Like all teams, Oregon certainly has questions entering the season. The team will have three new starters on the offensive line, including at both tackle spots. (A true freshman may start at right tackle.) But the Ducks have a track record of producing elite offensive lines. They have been Joe Moore Award finalists the last three years.
In addition, both the offense and defense will operate under new coordinators. But the leader of that line, Laloulu, was a Rimington Trophy finalist last season, and new coordinators Drew Mehringer (offense) and Chris Hampton (defense) were both promoted from within, maintaining some semblance of continuity.
The other contenders in the Big Ten also have holes entering the season. Ohio State must replace seven defensive starters, including three who were selected in the top 11 of the NFL Draft. Indiana brings back much talent from its national championship squad, but losing Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Fernando Mendoza is obviously a big blow.
So in a Big Ten race in which very little separates the top three teams, the Ducks -- with their loaded roster, reasonable schedule and fair odds -- is the favorite to consider in the futures market.
"We have high expectations," Oregon coach Dan Lanning said during Big Ten Media Days. "We've got a lot that we want to accomplish."
