Expert College Football Betting Locks for 2025-26 National Champion Futures
Months from now, it will all make so much sense.
The teams, the players, the breakouts and disappointments will emerge—some without much warning. The games will all have final scores, and one team will reign supreme above all others.
Presently, if we're being honest, things are hazy. The landscape has changed, which enhances both chaos and pool of national championship contenders.
In the past two seasons, we have navigated said landscape. In this very piece, or at least one quite like it, we told you that Michigan would win the title in 2024 and Ohio State would win the title in 2025.
In an effort to keep this streak alive, we're doing the same exact thing, only we're not just offering up one team. Our clear national championship pick will be recognized, although we're including other teams and odds we like.
The beauty about future betting is that it doesn't have to be one bet. Here's a look at the teams (and value) we like.
The Choice: Clemson (+900)
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If we were picking only one team to win the title, this would be the one. Let's get that out of the way right now.
Clemson enters the season with the fifth lowest odds, sitting behind Texas, Ohio State, Penn State and Georgia. Given the state of the roster, which might be the most balanced in college football, this feels about right.
It starts at quarterback, where the argument is strongest. Cade Klubnik's early struggles at Clemson paved the way for a massive junior year, and there's reason to believe he could get better.
The offensive line should be excellent, the skill talent is solid, and an offense that finished No. 18 in scoring a season ago should find itself in the top 10 this year. Defensively, Clemson should also take a leap forward. T.J. Parker will lead a group of future NFL players, and this unit also has a chance to shine.
While the team has plenty going for it, the schedule, to a large degree, has more. That's not to say that the Tigers' path to the playoff is easy. The season starts against LSU and ends at South Carolina—two teams outside the conference currently ranked inside the top 15.
But the rest of the ACC slate is doable, and it seems unlikely that a team with this much talent and experience would struggle.
All the pieces are in place, and Clemson is more than capable of competing with—and beating—the teams they're below on the odds board.
There is so much to like, and 9/1 is a great price all things considered.
Nearly the Choice: Alabama (+1000)
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On the topic of talented teams listed at good value, enter Alabama.
To be clear, Clemson is the pick. But that doesn't mean we can't build out our futures vault, and that's precisely what we're doing. The Crimson Tide made a strong push to be the top choice, which might surprise some considering how the first year under Kalen DeBoer went.
Simply put, this team is loaded. The offensive line is built to be one of the best in the country, the skill talent, led by wideout Ryan Williams, should be superb as well.
It's reasonable to question how new quarterback Ty Simpson, although the reports out of camp have been solid. Simpson doesn't have to do too much, which is a nice luxury to have.
Defensively, this unit should look a lot more like the Alabama we're used to seeing, especially when you look at the experience in the front seven returning. This unit finished No. 10 in scoring last year; expect that performance to get even better this fall.
The schedule, like most SEC schedules, has its challenges. Alabama actually opens with Florida State, which will give us plenty of intel. A road game at Georgia early in the year will give us more.
Games at Missouri, South Carolina and Auburn won't be easy. Tennessee, Oklahoma and LSU will also be played, albeit at home.
Alabama doesn't have to win them all. Just make the playoff and let things fall into place. In a game-to-game environment, few teams feel as tough to beat as this one.
In Search of Talent and Value: Texas A&M (+4000)
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Let's stay in the SEC, and let's focus on a team that has all the necessary pieces to win a national title.
Texas A&M was a game away from a potential shot at an SEC Championship along with a spot in the College Football Playoff. Its loss to Texas eliminated those changes, although the general performance and improvement certainly stood out.
If you're making this bet, you're betting on Marcel Reed. It's as simple as that.
Reed was thrown into action earlier than expected last season, and he performed largely well. At the very least, he showcased his ability as a passer and certainly as a runner. How his incredible traits hold up over the course of a season remains to be seen, although Texas A&M is in a good position here.
As for wide receivers, there was plenty of movement both in and out. The addition of KC Concepcion, however, was massive. And Reed will also be playing behind one of the best offensive lines in the country.
On defense, A&M should improve. This is head coach Mike Elko's specialty, after all. The Aggies were No. 36 in scoring last season, and that should improve thanks to solid work on the recruiting and portal front.
As for the schedule, well, that's where it gets tough. Road games at Notre Dame, LSU, Missouri and Texas showcase just what a gauntlet it will be. There's a reason the Aggies are at 40/1, and this is one of those reasons.
Texas A&M doesn't have to go unbeaten. It has to take last year's effort, which nearly resulted in a trip to the SEC Championship Game, a step further. It's a lot to ask, but the value for a team with this much talent is very much there.
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For Those Looking for a Pay Day: Arizona State (+10000)
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Here's what we know.
Quarterback Sam Leavitt and head coach Kenny Dillingham are back. While that won't be enough by itself, it's a heck of a start. Leavitt emerged as one of the nation's best young quarterbacks, and Dillingham is one the game's best play callers.
Together, as we saw last year, they make for quite the formidable duo. Throw in wideout Jordyn Tyson, one of the best in the country, and you have a foundation.
If you're looking for any reason to back the Sun Devils, it has to start with the obvious.
In terms of losses, it's hard not to overstate just how much Cam Skattebo meant to this team. The running back is now a member of the Giants, which means ASU will have to get creative.
For as much credit as we give the offense, the improvements on defense in 2024 is what allowed ASU to ultimately make the playoff. With a ton of talent and reps returning, this side of the ball could actually be better than it was last year.
While the Big 12 remains the sport's great mystery conference, ASU is one of the favorites and for good reason. The Sun Devils travel to Mississippi State before conference play begins.
In conference play, road trips to Baylor, Utah, Iowa State. ASU also plays Texas Tech, TCU and Arizona. Compared to others, the path to the playoff isn't so bad. The concern for the Big 12, however, could be if its strength of schedule, or lack thereof, limits the number of teams that get access to the playoff.
At 100/1, that seems like a reasonable risk to take. And given how well this program played against Texas in the playoff, it showed a level we didn't know it had. If it can find it again, look out.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
