Paul Finebaum Names Two National Title Favorites For 2026-27
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Paul Finebaum is expecting a return to the status quo atop the college football hierarchy next season.
Indiana concluded a shocking 16-0 season with a College Football Playoff National Championship Game victory over No. 10 Miami on Monday night. The Hoosiers defied all expectations during a dominant year under head coach Curt Cignetti.
Despite Indiana’s win indicating a potential paradigm shift in college football, Finebaum still backed two blue bloods to rise back to the top in 2026. The ESPN pundit identified Texas and Ohio State as his two early national title favorites on Monday’s SportsCenter, courtesy of On3’s Nick Kosko.
“I think you have to start with Texas,” Finebaum said. “I know we started with Texas this year, but Arch Manning is much better, and he’ll have a much more significant role because of some of the complements they have gotten in the portal.”
Ohio State lost to Indiana in the Big Ten Championship Game before getting upset by Miami in the CFP’s opening round, but Finebaum believes the Buckeyes will remain a top contender.
“I am still baffled at what happened to Ohio State because they had the best roster in college football, but they simply couldn’t get it done,” Finebaum said. “So that’s where we began this year. That’s where I think we’re going to begin in late August.”
Ohio State and Texas remain early 2026 favorites
Oddsmakers also see those two programs as top contenders in 2026. Ohio State matches Notre Dame as a +650 favorite to win next year’s national title on FanDuel Sportsbook, and Texas (+750) follows Indiana (+700) for fourth.
The Longhorns and Buckeyes ranked first and third, respectively, in last summer’s preseason poll before Ohio State began its title defense with a 14-7 win over Texas. Two more road losses at Florida and Georgia cost Steve Sarkisian’s SEC squad a CFP bid.
Finebaum had huge expectations for Arch Manning, labeling the quarterback a future Heisman Trophy winner and the best college football player since Tim Tebow before he began his first season as a starter. He quickly changed his tune during a disappointing 2025 campaign, but Finebaum is apparently back on board with Manning forgoing the NFL.
Meanwhile, Finebaum called Ohio State’s early CFP exit “inconceivable” on The Matt Barrie Show.
“In some ways,” Finebaum said, “Ohio State not winning remains as big a mystery to me as Indiana pulling it off.”
This story was originally published by The Spun on Jan 20, 2026, where it first appeared in the College Football section. Add The Spun as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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