Ohio State leads the college football futures odds at +390 to win the national title. The Buckeyes are also the shortest price to reach the playoff semifinals, at -156, and their receiver Jeremiah Smith leads the Heisman Trophy board at -220. All prices are DraftKings’, as ESPN carries them, read at 11:04 UTC on Saturday, October 17, 2026 (7:04 am ET), before that day’s games.
ESPN lists 14 college football futures boards: the national title, reaching the semifinals and the final, nine conferences, the Heisman and the FCS title. This page holds the top three of each and links to the page that carries the full board. It makes no pick.
College football futures odds: every board’s favorite
| Board | Favorite | Price | Implied | Margin removed | Priced |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| National title | Ohio State | +390 | 20.4% | 16.7% | 66 |
| Reach the semifinals | Ohio State | -156 | 60.9% | not shown | 66 |
| Reach the final | Ohio State | +160 | 38.5% | not shown | 66 |
| SEC | Georgia | -152 | 60.3% | 51.0% | 12 |
| Big Ten | Ohio State | -125 | 55.6% | 48.0% | 11 |
| Big 12 | BYU | +245 | 29.0% | 24.5% | 15 |
| ACC | Miami | -525 | 84.0% | 71.5% | 15 |
| American | UTSA | +220 | 31.2% | 26.4% | 13 |
| Conference USA | Liberty | -132 | 56.9% | 49.6% | 10 |
| MAC | Western Michigan | +140 | 41.7% | 35.4% | 12 |
| Mountain West | New Mexico | +110 | 47.6% | 41.5% | 9 |
| Sun Belt | James Madison | -205 | 67.2% | 56.4% | 14 |
| Heisman Trophy | Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State | -220 | 68.8% | 53.2% | 35 |
| FCS title | South Dakota State | +140 | 41.7% | 31.4% | 18 |
Implied is the chance a price needs to break even: +390 needs 20.4%. On a board with one winner the implied chances should add up to 100%, and anything above is the bookmaker’s margin. The title board adds up to 121.9%, so Ohio State’s 20.4% is 16.7% with the margin out (20.4 / 121.9). The two playoff boards have four winners and two, so their totals (460.2% and 238.7%) are not comparable and no margin-removed figure is shown. The futures betting guide explains how a season-long price is settled.
National title: Ohio State at +390
- Ohio State: +390 (20.4%)
- Notre Dame: +450 (18.2%)
- Georgia: +475 (17.4%)
The title game is on January 25 in Las Vegas, the College Football Playoff’s site says. The top of the board has not moved since our read on October 15, but it has shortened since September 24, when Ohio State was +520 and Notre Dame and Georgia +650 each. Three teams have dropped off the board since October 15, Navy, East Carolina and Purdue, which leaves 66. Every price is on our college football championship odds page.
The playoff: reaching the semifinals and the final
To reach the semifinals:
- Ohio State: -156 (60.9%)
- Georgia: -146 (59.3%)
- Notre Dame: -130 (56.5%)
To reach the final:
- Ohio State: +160 (38.5%)
- Georgia: +184 (35.2%)
- Notre Dame: +220 (31.2%)
The field is 12 teams, and the top four seeds skip the first round, which is played on December 18 and 19. The semifinals are the Orange Bowl on January 14 and the Sugar Bowl on January 15, according to the College Football Playoff. Notre Dame has a path no one else has: it receives an automatic bid if it is ranked in the top 12 on selection day. These three are the only odds-on prices on the semifinal board. Since October 15 the top of both boards has held, and the biggest move is Utah, in from +1400 to +1000 to reach the semifinals and from +3100 to +2500 to reach the final. Our College Football Playoff odds page has both boards.
The nine conference races
The champions of the SEC, Big Ten, Big 12 and ACC earn automatic playoff bids, and the highest-ranked champion from the American, Conference USA, the MAC, the Mountain West, the Pac-12 or the Sun Belt takes a fifth, under the playoff’s rules. ESPN has no Pac-12 board. The committee’s first meeting is November 2-3, and selection weekend is December 4-6.
- SEC: Georgia -152, Alabama +425, Texas +650. Georgia was +205 on September 24, when Texas was second at +260. SEC odds
- Big Ten: Ohio State -125, Indiana +192, UCLA +1000. Ohio State has gone from +125 on September 24 to odds-on, and UCLA has come in from +8000. Big Ten odds
- Big 12: BYU +245, Utah +250, Texas Tech +280. The closest race of the nine: 2.7 points of implied chance cover the top three, and Texas Tech led at +150 on September 24. Big 12 odds
- ACC: Miami -525, SMU +1000, Wake Forest +1000. The widest lead on any conference board; Miami was -240 on September 24. ACC odds
- American: UTSA +220, North Texas +285, Memphis +355. The leader has changed since October 15, when Memphis led at +220 and North Texas was +400. American odds
- Conference USA: Liberty -132, Jacksonville State +245, Florida International +990. Liberty was +320 on September 24 and -122 on October 15. Conference USA odds
- MAC: Western Michigan +140, Toledo +320, Ohio +420, unchanged at the top since October 15. MAC odds
- Mountain West: New Mexico +110, North Dakota State +176, UNLV +370. North Dakota State led at +105 on September 24. Mountain West odds
- Sun Belt: James Madison -205, Louisiana Tech +720, South Alabama +1000. James Madison was +184 on September 24. Sun Belt odds
Five of the nine favorites are odds-on: Georgia, Ohio State, Miami, Liberty and James Madison.
Heisman Trophy: Jeremiah Smith at -220
- Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State: -220 (68.8%)
- Darian Mensah, Miami: +950 (9.5%)
- CJ Carr, Notre Dame: +1000 (9.1%)
Fernando Mendoza won the trophy last season. This year’s finalists are announced on December 7 and the winner on December 12, according to Heisman.com. On September 24 the board was led by Trinidad Chambliss of Ole Miss at +310, with Mensah +370 and Smith +1050; Chambliss is now +1500. The top three have not moved since October 15. All 35 names are on our Heisman Trophy odds page.
FCS title: South Dakota State at +140
- South Dakota State: +140 (41.7%)
- Montana State: +400 (20.0%)
- Youngstown State: +400 (20.0%)
Montana State is the holder: it beat Illinois State 35-34 in overtime in Nashville last season, the NCAA records. The bracket is 24 teams, eight seeded with first-round byes, and this season’s final returns to Nashville on January 11. No price on this board has changed since October 15. The 18 teams are on our FCS championship odds page.
When these boards are settled
The playoff field is set on selection weekend, December 4-6. The Heisman is decided on December 12, the FCS title on January 11 and the national title on January 25. Prices move with each week’s results, and this page is rebuilt when the boards do. Every game we cover is on the college football predictions hub.