Following an exciting Week 6, the College Football Playoff and national rankings show the Ohio State Buckeyes as the favorite to repeat as national champions. However, numerous realistic alternatives are also available.
Week 7 in college football features several critically important matchups. Including the Big Ten showdown between the Fighting Illini of Illinois and the visiting Ohio State Buckeyes (Noon, FOX).
Yet another massive Big Ten clash is the Indiana Hoosiers at the Oregon Ducks (3:30 p.m. ET, CBS). The Texas Tech Red Raiders have a chance to make a statement against the Kansas Jayhawks (7:30 p.m. ET, FOX).
Also catching attention is the Ole Miss Rebels, who will host the Washington State Cougars (12:45 p.m. ET, SECN) in an expected rout. Of course, the Red River Shootout between the Oklahoma Sooners and Texas Longhorns will have massive SEC and CP implications.
2025-2026 College Football Championship
| Dates: | The 2025-2026 College Football Season began on August 23, 2025, and the National Championship Game is on Monday, January 19, 2026. |
|---|---|
SBG College Football National Championship Odds: | Click Here |
The elite favorites remain largely unchanged in the college football national championship odds after Week 6. Still, two power brands are going to tumble down the board after suffering their second losses of the season.
The Texas Longhorns are as good as done after their second loss of the season. Texas lost 29-21 to a mediocre Florida team that dominated a game that was not as close as the final score indicated. Of great concern is that Texas quarterback Arch Manning continues to be exposed as a quarterback who is not yet ready for prime time.
Meanwhile, the Penn State Nittany Lions suffered an inexplicable 42-37 loss to a terrible UCLA team with a new interim head coach and coordinators. Concurrently, gamblers are writing off the Longhorns and Nittany Lions, but with the expanded college football playoff, they are not technically eliminated, although they have no margin for error.
Ohio State Buckeyes
The defending national champion and #1-ranked Buckeyes are coming off a 42-3 blowout win over the Minnesota Golden Gophers as 23.5-point favorites. As a result, they are 5-0 straight up and 4-0-1 against the spread as the class of the Big Ten. But this week brings a dangerous road matchup against the capable and physical Illinois Fighting Illini. The Ohio State defense continues to be the talk of the town. To show, the Buckeyes have allowed the fewest points of any team in college football.
Oregon Ducks
The Ducks are coming off a bye week that followed their epic 30-24 win at Penn State in the White Out. The defending Big Ten champions look the part for a repeat and are showing tremendous balance. Now, #3-ranked Oregon will need to quickly and fully refocus for its matchup this week against the undefeated Indiana Hoosiers. Head coach Dan Lanning’s Ducks will be facing one of the most interesting teams in college football.
Miami Hurricanes
If there is a team to keep an eye on as an alternative to the Ohio State Buckeyes, it is the #2-ranked Miami Hurricanes. Since his arrival in 2022, head coach, alum, and Miami favorite son Mario Cristobal, has been planning and working towards a national championship run. Although it has taken longer than the fair-weather Miami fans wanted, the payoff of Cristobal’s recruiting is apparent. Miami is the class of the Atlantic Coast Conference and is coming off a 28-22 road win over the Florida State Seminoles that was not as close as the final score indicated.