It's never too early for CFB football talk, and the 2026 college football national championship odds have the usual suspects near the top of the list.
SBR's Rob Paul offers his early college football national championship predictions:
Favorite Pick: Oregon (+750 DraftKings)
"Lanning has the Ducks on the cusp of greatness, and they shouldn't take a step back in their second season in the Big Ten. While Heisman finalist Dillon Gabriel is gone, former five-star recruit Dante Moore is set to take over under center. While there's a bit of projection with him, the redshirt sophomore showed flashes as a true freshman at UCLA (14 big-time throws in his first five games, per PFF).
If Moore can thrive in Will Stein's offense the same way Gabriel and Bo Nix did, Oregon is going to be scary - Moore's got more pure talent than Gabriel. The Ducks also bring back receiver Evan Stewart and reloaded with multiple key transfers like Makhi Hughes (Tulane), Isaiah World (Nevada), and Emmanuel Pregnon (USC).
It's much of the same defensively, where the crown jewel of Lanning's No. 4 transfer portal class plays. Safety Dillon Thieneman (Purdue) is one of the best in the country, and he joins a defense that returns pass rusher Matayo Uiagalelei and linebacker Bryce Boettcher.
So while the Ducks have a significant amount of talent headed to the NFL, Lanning's continued dominance of the portal will help hide many of those losses. Oregon is in better shape than Ohio State in the Big Ten and could once again earn the No. 1 seed in the CFP. If they win it all this time, a $10 bet pays a $75 profit."
Contender Pick: LSU (+2000 DraftKings)
"Looking at the eight programs with odds in the +1000 to +3500 range, LSU jumps out for multiple reasons. Unlike most of them, the Tigers have a proven quarterback in Garrett Nussmeier, who's actually trading as the Heisman favorite above Manning at this point - rightfully so, as he was seventh in the country in big-time throws last season (26).
Nussmeier would have likely been in the conversation to be one of the first three quarterbacks selected in the 2025 NFL Draft had he turned pro. Instead, he's back in Baton Rouge surrounded by the No. 1 transfer portal class. This offense is adding Nic Anderson (Oklahoma), Barion Brown (Kentucky), Josh Thompson (Northwestern), and Braelin Moore (Virginia Tech) to a unit that returns Aaron Anderson and Caden Durham.
The defense could be even better with additions like Patrick Payton (Florida State), Jack Pyburn (Florida), and Mansoor Delane (Virginia Tech) joining Harold Perkins Jr., Whit Weeks, and Ashton Stamps. I think Blake Baker could really have this defense make a jump.
Brian Kelly put in work this offseason to accumulate talent and LSU has one of the most impressive rosters in the country on paper. With Georgia and Alabama having to replace so much and find new starting QBs, the Tigers could challenge Texas for the SEC title, and perhaps the national title."
Longshot Pick: South Carolina (+4000 DraftKings)
"Winning a college football national championship is usually reserved for the blue bloods ... the last 14 titles have gone to just seven different programs. Which is why it's rare for a team with odds longer than +800 to bring home a title. So finding a long shot with a real chance isn't easy.
The best course of action is to back an SEC or Big Ten team on the come-up that has at least one potential game-changer on each side of the ball. South Carolina fits that bill perfectly after nearly getting into the CFP last season and winning its most games since 2017 when the ol' ball coach, Steve Spurrier, was still in charge.
Shane Beamer has done an impressive job on the recruiting trail with the Gamecocks and its starting to translate to wins. So I'm banking on them getting to double-digit Ws this season behind the play of QB LaNorris Sellers (25 total TDs, 16 big-time throws) and pass rusher Dylan Stewart (51 pressures, 11 TFLs).
South Carolina also brought in several key pieces via the portal, including running back Rahsul Faison (Utah State), cornerback Brandon Cisse (NC State), and tight end Jordan Dingle (Kentucky). If Sellers and Stewart level up as sophomores, the Gamecocks will be scary. And if they somehow win the natty, a $10 bet pays a $400 profit."
Who is your top value pick to contend in 2026?
SBR's Rob Paul offers his early college football national championship predictions:
Favorite Pick: Oregon (+750 DraftKings)
"Lanning has the Ducks on the cusp of greatness, and they shouldn't take a step back in their second season in the Big Ten. While Heisman finalist Dillon Gabriel is gone, former five-star recruit Dante Moore is set to take over under center. While there's a bit of projection with him, the redshirt sophomore showed flashes as a true freshman at UCLA (14 big-time throws in his first five games, per PFF).
If Moore can thrive in Will Stein's offense the same way Gabriel and Bo Nix did, Oregon is going to be scary - Moore's got more pure talent than Gabriel. The Ducks also bring back receiver Evan Stewart and reloaded with multiple key transfers like Makhi Hughes (Tulane), Isaiah World (Nevada), and Emmanuel Pregnon (USC).
It's much of the same defensively, where the crown jewel of Lanning's No. 4 transfer portal class plays. Safety Dillon Thieneman (Purdue) is one of the best in the country, and he joins a defense that returns pass rusher Matayo Uiagalelei and linebacker Bryce Boettcher.
So while the Ducks have a significant amount of talent headed to the NFL, Lanning's continued dominance of the portal will help hide many of those losses. Oregon is in better shape than Ohio State in the Big Ten and could once again earn the No. 1 seed in the CFP. If they win it all this time, a $10 bet pays a $75 profit."
Contender Pick: LSU (+2000 DraftKings)
"Looking at the eight programs with odds in the +1000 to +3500 range, LSU jumps out for multiple reasons. Unlike most of them, the Tigers have a proven quarterback in Garrett Nussmeier, who's actually trading as the Heisman favorite above Manning at this point - rightfully so, as he was seventh in the country in big-time throws last season (26).
Nussmeier would have likely been in the conversation to be one of the first three quarterbacks selected in the 2025 NFL Draft had he turned pro. Instead, he's back in Baton Rouge surrounded by the No. 1 transfer portal class. This offense is adding Nic Anderson (Oklahoma), Barion Brown (Kentucky), Josh Thompson (Northwestern), and Braelin Moore (Virginia Tech) to a unit that returns Aaron Anderson and Caden Durham.
The defense could be even better with additions like Patrick Payton (Florida State), Jack Pyburn (Florida), and Mansoor Delane (Virginia Tech) joining Harold Perkins Jr., Whit Weeks, and Ashton Stamps. I think Blake Baker could really have this defense make a jump.
Brian Kelly put in work this offseason to accumulate talent and LSU has one of the most impressive rosters in the country on paper. With Georgia and Alabama having to replace so much and find new starting QBs, the Tigers could challenge Texas for the SEC title, and perhaps the national title."
Longshot Pick: South Carolina (+4000 DraftKings)
"Winning a college football national championship is usually reserved for the blue bloods ... the last 14 titles have gone to just seven different programs. Which is why it's rare for a team with odds longer than +800 to bring home a title. So finding a long shot with a real chance isn't easy.
The best course of action is to back an SEC or Big Ten team on the come-up that has at least one potential game-changer on each side of the ball. South Carolina fits that bill perfectly after nearly getting into the CFP last season and winning its most games since 2017 when the ol' ball coach, Steve Spurrier, was still in charge.
Shane Beamer has done an impressive job on the recruiting trail with the Gamecocks and its starting to translate to wins. So I'm banking on them getting to double-digit Ws this season behind the play of QB LaNorris Sellers (25 total TDs, 16 big-time throws) and pass rusher Dylan Stewart (51 pressures, 11 TFLs).
South Carolina also brought in several key pieces via the portal, including running back Rahsul Faison (Utah State), cornerback Brandon Cisse (NC State), and tight end Jordan Dingle (Kentucky). If Sellers and Stewart level up as sophomores, the Gamecocks will be scary. And if they somehow win the natty, a $10 bet pays a $400 profit."
Who is your top value pick to contend in 2026?