- Early odds at legal betting sites favor Ohio State to win the 2025-26 National Championship Game without Will Howard.
- Arch Manning taking over for Texas makes the Longhorns one of the best teams to bet on to win the CFP in 2025-26.
- The experience of Drew Allar makes Penn State another great futures bet for the National Championship Game next season.
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Opening College Football Playoff odds for the 2025-26 season are out and Ohio State is favored to repeat as National Champions. Since 2000, only two teams (Georgia and Alabama) have won back-to-back championships.
Ohio State To Win National Championship +450
Will Howard has declared for the 2025 NFL Draft, leaving Ohio State without their star quarterback. Former five-star prospect from Alabama, Julian Sayin, is expected to be Howard’s replacement for the upcoming season.
Sayin was a stud in high school (threw for 2,369 yards and only one interception in his last year playing in 2023) but does not have the college experience that other teams starting quarterbacks do.
Even though they have the best receiver in college football returning in Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State’s odds at legal sports betting sites may not be worth taking without an experienced QB under center.
Texas To Win National Championship +650
While Quinn Ewers has also declared for the NFL Draft, there are no questions about who will replace the quarterback for the 2025-26 season. Arch Manning is set to be the starter for the Texas Longhorns, after playing in a handful of games this past season and starting for Ewers in two games.
In those two starts, Manning completed 41 passes for 583 yards and threw four touchdown passes and two interceptions. He is also a threat in the run game for Texas, finishing the season with 25 carries for 108 yards and four rushing touchdowns.
The Longhorns have a tough schedule in 2025-26 but have a quarterback that makes them one of the better teams to wager on at college football betting sites to win it all.
Penn State To Win National Championship +800
Penn State is the only team in the top five favorites to win the CFP that has a returning starting quarterback. Drew Allar helped the Nittany Lions exceed expectations this season and finished with 3,327 passing yards, 24 touchdowns, and only eight interceptions.
The 2025 National Championship game featured two senior quarterbacks finishing their collegiate careers. The importance of an experienced starting quarterback was evident in the College Football Playoffs and Drew Allar is in one of the best positions to lead his team to victory this season.
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News tags: Arch Manning | College Football Playoffs | Drew Allar | Julian Sayin | Ohio State Buckeyes | Penn State Nittany Lions | Quinn Ewers | Texas Longhorns | Will Howard

Ben has been an avid sports fan his whole life and mostly follows football and basketball, both professional and collegiate. He has been covering topics that vary from Super Bowl prop bets to articles about the generated revenue from regulated sports betting. He is currently finishing his Editing, Writing, and Media Degree at Florida State University, with a minor in Business. Diving into the world of sports betting, he is ecstatic to work in an area that has combined his two passions of sports and writing.