Crunching Numbers: Forecasting the Next Four National Champions in College Football

2027-28: Georgia Bulldogs

Kirby Smart and the Georgia Bulldogs are coming off winning two of the last three national championships. The Bulldogs are listed as the odds-on favorite to win their third in four years in 2024-25, boasting +300 odds. Georgia has a strong shot at winning another national championship as soon as next season, and it will be interesting to see how their program responds to a difficult schedule and the debut of the 12-team College Football Playoff field. If the Bulldogs don't win in 2024-25, that certainly doesn't set their program back. The Bulldogs continue to set the standard in college football in terms of recruitment, and as long as Kirby Smart leads the team onto the field on Saturdays, they'll be a perennial threat to winning a national title. It might seem like a long time away from the top, but we like the Bulldogs to find glory again in 2027-28 and start another run as the cream of the crop. 

2024-25: Ohio State Buckeyes

The Ohio State Buckeyes are as well positioned to make a run for the 2024-25 national championship as any program. The Buckeyes are priced with the second-shortest odds at +480, behind only the Georgia Bulldogs at +300. Last season was largely a struggle for the Buckeyes, who dropped their third straight matchup to the Michigan Wolverines. The Buckeyes are built to bounce back in 2024-25 and are already listed as a 7.5-point home favorite in The Game on November 30, 2024. The Buckeyes had another elite recruiting class, which included landing transfers, QB Will Howard and DB Caleb Downs. This will be Ryan Day's best shot at winning a national title at Ohio State, and if he doesn't lead them to the promised lands with this loaded roster, his job could be in question. Much like they did with the inaugural season of the four-team College Football Playoff, we like for the Buckeyes to win the first 12-team College Football Playoff in 2024-25. 

2025-26: Tennessee Volunteers

Call this one a hunch. This prediction likely won't be one that goes over well with the masses, but we quietly like the foundation that the Tennessee Volunteers are building in Knoxville. The Volunteers should be in the hunt for a spot in the College Football Playoff in 2024-25 and boast +3000 odds to win the national title. A big reason why we have confidence in the direction the Volunteers program is headed is because of quarterback Nico Iamaleava. The highly sought-after recruit debuted for the Volunteers in the Cheez-It Bowl, throwing for 314 yards, two touchdowns, and rushing for three on the ground. This type of playmaker doesn't come along often, and the Volunteers appear to have their golden ticket at the most important position in the sport. Head coach Josh Heupel has done a nice job recruiting, and this helps pay off for the Volunteers in winning their national title since 1998. 

2026-27: Texas Longhorns

The Texas Longhorns made the rise back into a contender in 2023-34, which saw them qualify for the final four-team College Football Playoff. The Longhorns are expected to be right back in the mix, with Quinn Ewers leading the charge in 2024-25. Ewers sits in a tie with Carson Beck of Georgia for the shortest odds to win the Heisman at +750. In addition, the Longhorns hold the third-shortest odds to win the national championship at +700. The Longhorns program is back where it's supposed to be, and we don't believe they're going anywhere anytime soon. With Ewers at the helm in 2024-25, Arch Manning is expected to make his debut as the starting quarterback in 2025-26. The uber-talented recruit should make waves in his first year as a starter, but we'll give him one year to get acclimated before suggesting the Longhorns will win the national championship again. 

2027-28: Georgia Bulldogs

Kirby Smart and the Georgia Bulldogs are coming off winning two of the last three national championships. The Bulldogs are listed as the odds-on favorite to win their third in four years in 2024-25, boasting +300 odds. Georgia has a strong shot at winning another national championship as soon as next season, and it will be interesting to see how their program responds to a difficult schedule and the debut of the 12-team College Football Playoff field. If the Bulldogs don't win in 2024-25, that certainly doesn't set their program back. The Bulldogs continue to set the standard in college football in terms of recruitment, and as long as Kirby Smart leads the team onto the field on Saturdays, they'll be a perennial threat to winning a national title. It might seem like a long time away from the top, but we like the Bulldogs to find glory again in 2027-28 and start another run as the cream of the crop.