The Indiana Hoosiers completed one of the most unlikely championships in sports history, winning the 2025 CFP National Championship at 100-1 odds. So now, as people look ahead to the 2026 season, the question is What team is this year’s Indiana?
If you’re looking for another triple-digit underdog to lift the trophy next January in Las Vegas, that team won’t be the Hoosiers. Indiana could very well repeat, but this time the Hoosiers are the co-favorites to win the CFP National Championship, listed at 7-1 (+700) at DraftKings, alongside Notre Dame, Ohio State and Texas. Oregon (+900) rounds out the top five favorites in the national championship futures odds.
But even though the favorites are all less than 10-1, there is still value on the board. Here’s a look at four teams that are worth considering.
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Oregon +900
The last three national champions have been Big Ten teams loaded with veterans who bypassed declaring for the NFL Draft for a chance to win the national title.
This year, that team is Oregon (13-2), which not only got quarterback Dante Moore to return despite being a projected top-five pick but also will have its entire starting defensive line back from last season. The Ducks also will have an abundance of riches at the skill positions on both sides of the ball. The one concern for Oregon bettors is the change in play-callers, but the new offensive and defensive coordinators were promoted from within, which should help maintain continuity.
The schedule includes a showdown against Ohio State in Columbus in what could be college football’s game of the year. But otherwise, the Ducks should be favored in every other game. Another 11-1 regular season, at the least, is well within reach.
Texas Tech +1500
In the 2024 season, there was a team that had its best year in program history, advanced to the College Football Playoff, lost without winning a postseason game and was widely labeled as a “fraud.” The following season, that team, Indiana, won the national championship.
In the 2025 season, there was a team that had its best year in program history, advanced to the College Football Playoff, lost without winning a postseason game and was widely labeled as a “fraud.” This time, that team was Texas Tech.
If the Hoosiers can take the path to the title, why can’t the Red Raiders? Texas Tech (12-2) will have to replace a ton of talent, especially on the defensive side. But the program already has secured one of the top transfer portal classes, led by quarterback Brendan Sorsby, and with oil billionaire Cody Campbell writing checks, the Red Raiders have the NIL power to fill whatever holes they have.
And most importantly, Texas Tech has a schedule that’s tough … for basketball. For football? Not so much. The Red Raiders’ toughest nonconference game is at Oregon State (2-10 in 2025). The reigning Big 12 champs don’t have to play either the conference runner-up, BYU, or third-place Utah. Texas Tech’s toughest opponents on paper — Arizona (9-4), Arizona State (8-5) and Houston (10-3) — all have to go to Lubbock. The Red Raiders’ toughest road game arguably is at Cincinnati (7-6). The schedule is softer than a warm flour tortilla.
A 12-0 regular season record is certainly within reach for Texas Tech, which means this +1500 is only likely to get shorter over the course of the season.
Notre Dame +700
All the Fighting Irish have to do to earn a spot in next season’s bracket is finish in the top 12 of the selection committee’s final ranking. Had that rule been in place for the 2025 season, they would have gotten into the field over Miami even though the Hurricanes were No. 10 in the final ranking, one spot ahead of Notre Dame.
The Fighting Irish (10-2) will need to replace the very big shoes of running backs Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price. But Notre Dame has the makings of a terrific offensive line, led by left tackle Anthonie Knapp. Quarterback CJ Carr, who ranked fifth in the country in passing efficiency (168.1), should only be better in his third year in the program. The Fighting Irish also will field a back seven on defense that shapes up to be one of the best in the nation.
Most importantly, the schedule is designed for Notre Dame to go undefeated. The Irish figure to be favorites in every game next season, with maybe just three ranked opponents: at BYU, Miami (in South Bend) and SMU (also in South Bend). The +700 doesn’t provide much value, but that may be the best price offered on the Irish all year.
Florida +7000
Talent was not the problem in Gainesville last season. The Gators were loaded with Sunday-level players at multiple positions, as evidenced by the team upsetting Texas and giving Georgia all it could handle. But the aura around embattled coach Billy Napier was too much for the team to overcome, and Florida (4-8) played uninspired ball for much of the season.
Enter new boss Jon Sumrall, who has been a college head coach for four seasons and has reached the conference championship game each of those four years. In Gainesville, he will be working with talent unlike he had at Troy and Tulane, led by one of the top running backs in the country (Jadan Baugh), playmakers on the outside (Vernell Brown III, Dallas Wilson and Eric Singleton Jr.) and a freaky menace off the edge (Jayden Woods). Former five-star quarterback DJ Lagway left the Gators for Baylor, but Florida won’t miss his 14 interceptions (second-most in the FBS last season).
The Gators will have to navigate a typical SEC schedule, but there’s no chance it will be as hard as last year’s, which was arguably the most brutal in the nation, with six opponents ranked in the top nine.
Any Florida backer will need to take a leap of faith in Sumrall, but +7000 is more than fair on a team with the Gators’ talent.
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