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National Championship Odds 2026: Will Ohio State Defend the Crown?
By Kevin Duffey
Last Updated:
On this page you’ll find the live national championship odds for many of the top teams as well as complete information about the CFP national championship both this year and in years past.
The 2024-25 national championship has come and gone, with Ohio State standing coming out on top. The Buckeyes defeated Notre Dame on January 20, 34-23. By doing so, head coach Ryan Day won his first championship at the helm of the Buckeyes program.
Give credit where it’s due, though. Notre Dame gave Ohio State the best fight of any team in the College Football Playoff. The Buckeyes hardly broke a sweat against Tennessee and Oregon, then mostly controlled a closer contest against Texas, 28-14.
Notre Dame, however, punched the Buckeyes right in the mouth on the first drive to take a 7-0 lead. The Buckeyes then rattled off 28 straight points, but Notre Dame was far from done. Riley Leonard and WR Jaden Greathouse slowly brought the Fighting Irish back into it, making it a 1-possession game with just under 5 minutes remaining.
Then Will Howard found Jeremiah Smith deep:
Early 2025-26 National Championship Odds
Now that the national championship has passed, it’s time to look towards next year. FanDuel has already released some initial lines for 2025-26’s national champion. Tennessee’s odds dropped after news that quarterback Nico Iamaleava wants to transfer.
Check it out below:
2025-26 National Championship Key Dates
College Football Playoff Dates for 2025-26 season
- First Round (1 Game): December 19, 2025
- First Round (3 Games): December 20, 2025
- Quarterfinals (Cotton Bowl): Wednesday, December 31, 2024:
- Quarterfinals (Orange Bowl): Tuesday, January 1, 2026
- Quarterfinals (Rose Bowl): Tuesday, January 1, 2026
- Quarterfinals (Sugar Bowl): Tuesday, January 1, 2026
- Semifinal Game (Fiesta Bowl): Thursday, January 8, 2026
- Semifinal Game (Peach Bowl): Friday, January 9, 2026
- CFP National Championship Game: Monday, January 19, 2026
Of course, exact kickoff time and TV schedules will be released later.
Where can you bet on the national championship odds?
The following sportsbooks let you bet on college football futures such as national championship odds, Heisman Trophy odds, and more.
College Football Playoff Selection Committee
The College Football Playoff rankings and selections ultimately for the 12-team playoff are made by the selection committee. The selection committee is made up of athletic directors, journalists, coaches and administrators.
The make-up of the 2024-25 selection committee was:
- Chris Ault
- Randall McDaniel
- Mack Rhoades
- Gary Pinkel
- Chet Gladchuk
- Jim Grobe
- Warde Manuel
- David Sayler
- Will Shields
- Hunter Yuracheck
- Mike Riley
- Carla Williams
- Kelly Whiteside
National Championship Game Results History
Bowl Championship Series (BCS) Era
- 1998-99: Tennessee 23, Florida State 16
- 1999-2000: Florida State 46, Virginia Tech 29
- 2000-01: Oklahoma 13, Florida State 2
- 2001-02: Miami 37, Nebraska 14
- 2002-03: Ohio State 31, Miami 24
- 2003-04: LSU 21, Oklahoma 14
- 2004-05: USC 55, Oklahoma 19
- 2005-06: Texas 41, USC 38
- 2006-07: Florida 41, Ohio State 14
- 2007-08: LSU 38, Ohio State 24
- 2008-09: Florida 24, Oklahoma 14
- 2009-10: Alabama 37, Texas 21
- 2010-11: Auburn 22, Oregon 19
- 2011-12: Alabama 21, LSU 0
- 2012-13: Alabama 42, Notre Dame 14
- 2013-14: Florida State 34, Auburn 31
College Football Playoff Era
- 2014-15: Ohio State 42, Oregon 20
- 2015-16: Alabama 45, Clemson 40
- 2016-17: Clemson 35, Alabama 31
- 2017-18: Alabama 26, Georgia 23
- 2018-19: Clemson 44, Alabama 16
- 2019-20: LSU 42, Clemson 25
- 2020-21: Alabama 52, Ohio State 24
- 2021-22: Georgia 33, Alabama 18
- 2022-23: Georgia 65, TCU 7
- 2023-24: Michigan 34, Washington 13
- 2024-25: Ohio State 34, Notre Dame 23
A graduate of the University of Florida and founder of Saturday Down South, Kevin is a college football enthusiast.
