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2025 College Football National Championship Futures Odds with Expert Betting Predictions

by Ryan Cobbett - 6/25/2025

College football National Championship odds and predictions Arch Manning Texas Longhorns

Last season we saw Ohio State take care of business in the first ever 12-team College Football Playoff. Is a repeat in their future? Texas, Penn State, Georgia, and others may have more to say about it. With odds live on who the ensuing National Champion will be, the Top Six all hail from the Southeastern Conference or Big Ten. Will the oddsmakers get it right? Kickoff of the 2025-26 season is just weeks away, and it is never too early to start throwing some money on Futures. Let’s take a look at those Top Six teams, plus one solid dark horse candidate who does not come out of the SEC or Big Ten.

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Texas Longhorns +550

It is the Arch Manning Era in Austin this season as Quinn Ewers has moved on to the NFL. Manning has plenty of playmakers around him. Quintrevion Wisner will look to repeat another 1,000-yard rushing performance, while Isaiah Bond and Ryan Wingo look to lead the WR room. Their Week 1 matchup against Ohio State, in Columbus, is going to be tough, especially if their offensive line doesn’t gel throughout the summer. However, after their opening contest, the schedule lightens up a bit with San Jose State, UTEP, and Sam Houston State to round out nonconference play. Their conference schedule does include road trips to Florida and Georgia, and you can never count the Red River Rivalry as a guarantee, but the Longhorns should have no problems reaching the 10-win mark and finding themselves back in the College Football Playoff mix. The pieces are in place for Texas to win it all, but the offensive line has to come together, and Manning has to prove he can handle the everyday pressure. However, Texas should not be the favorite with so many question marks surrounding their offensive line.

Ohio State Buckeyes +600

The defending champions come in at No. 2 on the list of best odds to win the National Championship. Both coordinators are gone, the elite running back tandem is gone, Will Howard is gone, Emeka Egbuka is gone, their leading tackler is gone, as well as their elite edge rushers in JT Tuimoloau and Jack Sawyer. However, it is next man up for the Buckeyes if they wish to repeat as champions. Julian Sayin is expected to take over for Howard, and he and his teammates will play host to another new starting quarterback in Manning as the Longhorns travel to Ohio State for an exciting Week 1 matchup. The rest of the schedule isn’t scaring too many Buckeyes fans. Road trips to Washington, Illinois, and Michigan may prove to be harder than expected, but they get their two toughest opponents (Texas and Penn State) at home, and the rest of their home schedule is light work. Ohio State will win at least 10 games this season. And if Sayin can live up to expectations, this offense may be better than it was last season. Ohio State should be the favorites to win it all.

Georgia Bulldogs +600

Elo Modozie, Noah Thomas, and Zachariah Branch headline an incredible transfer portal class for the Bulldogs. Carson Beck has moved on to Miami, leaving Gunnar Stockton as QB1 in Athens. Branch, Thomas, Nate Frazier, Dillon Bell, Oscar Delp, and London Humphreys headline a wide array of weapons at Stockton’s disposal. The defense does not appear to have the big names we have grown accustomed to seeing at Georgia, but Kirby Smart knows how to recruit and develop, so it is only a matter of time till we learn who the new stars of that defense will be. Georgia’s SOS ranks 13th in the nation, though the nonconference couldn’t be easier. Georgia will face their first test on the road against Tennessee in Week 3 and will also have to play host to Alabama, Ole Miss, and Texas. Their road trip to Auburn could also be a trap game for Georgia. Unless the defense is able to replicate their retooling ability, it might be a long season for Georgia. It also doesn’t help that the team went all in on Stockton with seemingly no solid backup option. This team could be the elite Georgia team we know, or there is a real chance they could slip up and fail to reach the 10-win mark. Like the other top two teams, there are a lot of question marks surrounding this team.

Penn State Nittany Lions +850

The Nittany Lions are returning 14 starters as they look to fight their way back into the playoff and make a deep run. They did lose their top two receiving threats in Tyler Warren and Harrison Wallace III, but they have replaced them with Trebor Pena, Devonte Ross, and Kyron Hudson via the transfer portal. Their biggest win on the defensive side of the ball during the offseason was poaching Jim Knowles away from Ohio State. Penn State’s SOS ranks 29th in the nation, though there are very few question marks on the schedule. They will play four straight home games to start the season and will get to play host to two of their three toughest opponents this season (Oregon and Nebraska). That road game against the Buckeyes in Week 8 could be pivotal in terms of reaching the Big Ten Championship Game. However, Penn State should have no issues reaching 10 wins and finding their way back into the CFP. This is a pivotal season for James Franklin, as he should have one of the best offenses in college football. With all that is at stake for Franklin, paired with solid returning production, Penn State should be higher on this list. Watch out for the Nittany Lions this season.

Oregon Ducks +900

Another team in the Top Six to have a new quarterback are the Oregon Ducks, who are expected to hand the reigns over to Dante Moore after Dillon Gabriel was drafted. The supporting cast seemed to be sufficient until a recent injury to Evan Stewart that left the Ducks without a WR1 for an indefinite period of time. They did bring in Malik Benson from Florida State, but now they will be without their top four receivers from last season with Stewart out. The defense should be fine, as they showcase one of the best linebacking units in the country, while transfer Bear Alexander should mitigate some of the losses the Ducks had on their defensive line. Oregon does benefit from having one of the easiest schedules amongst Big Ten and SEC teams. Their SOS ranks 32nd in the nation, with a cross-country road trip to Happy Valley as the toughest matchup on their schedule. Other than that, the road schedule is incredibly favorable. If the offense can function without Stewart, the Ducks will find their way back into the CFP. However, this team appears to be weaker than last year’s squad, so a chance at a National Championship might be far-fetched.

Alabama Crimson Tide +1000

After missing out on a playoff berth last season, Kalen DeBoer will be looking to get his Crimson Tide into the playoff picture this time around. The quarterback room looks a lot worse without Jalen Milroe leading the way, though whoever wins the quarterback competition will benefit from having one of the best wide receiver duos in the country in Ryan Williams and Isaiah Horton. Nikhai Hill-Green boosts the linebacker position group for Alabama, while Cameron Calhoun and Kelby Collins polish off a solid trio of defensive transfers. Alabama has the 11th toughest schedule in the nation thanks to road games against Georgia, Florida State, South Carolina, and Auburn. Their home schedule isn’t exactly easy, either, with LSU, Tennessee, and Oklahoma coming to town. If the quarterback room has any trouble at all getting acclimated to regular SEC play, then Alabama may be set to miss the playoffs once again this season. Ryan Grubb has joined the Crimson Tide as an Offensive Coordinator, which certainly helps, but Alabama has some work to do just to make the playoffs let alone win a National Championship.

Sleeper Team

LSU Tigers +1700

Okay, +1700 odds aren’t exactly screaming sleeper pick here, but LSU ranks just fourth amongst SEC teams on the odds list and they are one of just three teams in the Top 10 odds to be returning their quarterbacks (along with Drew Allar PSU and Cade Klubnik Clemson). LSU has the top-rated transfer portal class heading into this season with guys like Nic Anderson and Barion Brown set to boost the receivers room and a lot of new defensive weapons. Garrett Nussmeier may be the best quarterback in college football this season after throwing for over 4,000 yards last season. They do have a tough schedule. The Tigers will open up the year on the road against Clemson and will have conference road games at Ole Miss, Vanderbilt, Alabama, and Oklahoma. Winning at Alabama would be crucial for LSU’s playoff hopes, as a win there could propel them ahead of the Crimson Tide. The Tigers are heading into the season as the most slept on team in college football. Don’t make that mistake, they will find themselves in the playoff and are one of the few legitimate teams who can win it all.

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