The brackets are set, and the 12-team College Football Playoff is officially ready to go.
Three of the Power Four conference champions — Indiana, Georgia, and Texas Tech — received first-round byes, along with Ohio State, which was the No. 1 team in the AP and CFP poll from Weeks 2-14.
It’s no surprise that these teams are the clubhouse leaders to win it all. With that in mind, who will win the National Championship? Let's break down the top three favorites and picks, as well as everyone's respective outcome payouts on PrizePicks Team Picks.
Stacking Up College Football National Championship Favorites
Ohio State enters the College Football Playoff as the favorite to emerge victorious, returning a 3.03x payout on PrizePicks Team Picks if they win outright.
Here are the payout multipliers for all 12 teams in the College Football Playoff. Use PrizePicks Team Picks to predict Yes or No on CFB futures and earn real-money rewards if you're correct.
- Ohio State Buckeyes: 3.03x Yes | 1.35x No
- Indiana Hoosiers: 4x Yes | 1.21x No
- Georgia Bulldogs: 5x Yes | 1.13x No
- Oregon Ducks: 7.14x Yes | 1.07x No
- Texas Tech Red Raiders: 7.69x Yes | 1.06x No
- Texas A&M Aggies: 14.28x Yes | 1.02x No
- Ole Miss Rebels: 16.66x Yes | 1.01x No
- Alabama Crimson Tide: 16.66 Yes | 1.01x No
- Oklahoma Sooners: 22.22x Yes
- Miami Hurricanes: 22.22x Yes
- Tulane Green Wave: 33.33x Yes
- James Madison Dukes: 33.33x Yes
Team Picks data is live as of publishing and is subject to change.
Ohio State Buckeyes: National Championship Favorites
Ohio State losing to Indiana in the Big Ten Championship doesn’t necessarily mean the Buckeyes shouldn’t be the favorite, as they were just a fourth down conversion and a 27-yard field goal away from potentially tying or winning the game.
OSU's offense can attack on the ground and in the air. QB Julian Sayin owns the best single-season completion percentage (78.9%) and is a Heisman Trophy finalist. Sayin’s success as a passer is supported by his excellent WRs: Jeremiah Smith, who finished seventh with 1,048 receiving yards, and Carnell Tate, who was second in the Big Ten with 17.5 yards per catch.
When Tate and Smith each missed time due to injuries, RB Bo Jackson carried the offense. In Weeks 10-14, his 514 rushing yards ranked 15th.
The offense gets a lot of praise, but the defense was one of the best in the country as well. It's the only unit allowing under 10 points per game (8.3), yielding the fewest yards per game (217.5), and sits second in defensive EPA (-0.290, via CFB Graphs).
Ohio State's dominance over their opponents further drives that point home. They didn’t allow 200 passing yards until the Big Ten Championship and only gave up multiple TDs in two games. From Weeks 2-13, they didn’t let a team rush for more than 100 yards.
OSU’s storyline feels strangely reminiscent of 2024; the Buckeyes enter the playoffs after losing their previous game. Does head coach Ryan Day lead his team on another run?
Indiana Hoosiers: The Disrespected Conference Champions
Is it shocking that despite Indiana beating Ohio State on the field, they wouldn’t be the favorite to win it all? It may be, but Hoosiers head coach Curt Cignetti does an excellent job of turning the “us against the world” narrative into motivation.
The team should feel confident going into the playoffs, especially with QB Fernando Mendoza as their leader. He’s coming off an incredible season where he led the FBS with 33 passing TDs, sat second with a 181.4 passer rating, and is a Heisman Trophy finalist. Indiana is a multidimensional offense with a dangerous RB committee featuring Roman Hemby and Kaelon Black, who each rushed for over 5.0 yards per carry this.
What helped IU in the Big Ten Championship and could carry them moving forward is their defensive line. They finished the regular season eighth in pressure rate (41.3%, per CFB Graphs) and fourth in sacks (39), also sacking Sayin five times against OSU.
Last season, Indiana went 0-2 against ranked teams, including a loss to Ohio State. This year, they went 3-0, including avenging the loss to the Buckeyes. They could have all the tools for a long playoff run.
Georgia Bulldogs: Historical Winning Pedigree
Georgia head coach Kirby Smart downplayed his team heading into 2025. He said that championships were not the sole measure of a program, and he believes the 2021 and 2022 title teams were better than his current roster.
There was something Georgia accomplished last time they won the National Championship in 2022 that they also did this season: losing to Alabama in the first game of the year, then beating them in the second matchup. That win in this past SEC Championship might give the team momentum heading into the playoffs.
The Bulldogs' offense has found its identity in establishing the run game, as they are ranked 27th in run-play percentage (57.7) and 31st in rushing yards per game (186.2). They have a great duo in the backfield featuring RB Nate Frazier, who finished seventh in the SEC with 861 yards, and Chauncey Bowens, who had four games averaging more than 5.0 yards per rush.
That helped hide QB Gunner Stockton’s weaknesses. He struggled to stretch the field this season, as his 80.4 PFF passing grade on passes of 20 or more yards ranks 113th.
Georgia’s defense focuses on stopping the run, ranking fourth in yards allowed per game (79.2) and eighth in defensive rush EPA (-0.157). They have afforded only 32 rushing yards per game over their last four, including -3 to Alabama in the SEC Championship.
The secondary is UGA's weakness, as they allow 205.3 passing yards per game (47th). The Bulldogs tend to make their opponents one-dimensional by taking away the run, which forces third-and-long situations. The Dawgs have been effective at preventing third-down conversions to a 36.0% rate.
Make College Football Playoff Predictions on PrizePicks
After 16 exciting weeks featuring 136 Division I college football programs, it has come down to the final 12 for the National Championship. Will Ohio State win back-to-back titles, or could Indiana or a dark horse spoil their fun?
You can make predictions on which program will win it all at Hard Rock Stadium on January 19. Just predict an outcome on PrizePicks Team Picks and earn real-money rewards if you're correct.
Stay locked in on the Playbook for more CFB picks, predictions, and news every day.
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