Ohio State took down Notre Dame to win the inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff and claim the school’s first national championship since 2014, but now it’s time to get an early look ahead to the 2025 college football season and what teams are in contention right now.

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The early betting favorite to win next year’s national championship is Ohio State. The question nobody can really answer at this time is what sort of game will the Buckeyes or anyone else return to when they kick it off again seven months from now.

The Buckeyes open the betting lines for 2025-26 college football national champion as the +450 favorite, just ahead of the Texas Longhorns at +650. The Longhorns will enter the 2025 season led by Arch Manning and could even enter the year at No. 1 in the country depending on which pre-season poll you’re looking at.