Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian leads warm ups prior to the Cotton Bowl Classic College Football Playoff semifinal game between the Ohio State Buckeyes and the Texas Longhorns at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas on Jan. 10, 2025. Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Texas Longhorns Among Betting Favorites to Win 2026 National Championship

Originally posted on Texas Longhorns on SI
By Lindsey Plotkin | Last updated Jan 14, 2025 3:30 PM ET

AUSTIN -- Just days after the Texas Longhorns' season ended at the hands of the Ohio State Buckeyes, FanDuel has released its betting odds for the 2025-26 season, with Ohio State and Texas two of the top teams favored to win the National Championship.

FanDuel has Ohio State listed as the favorite with odds of +450 and Texas just behind at odds of +650. Up until Texas' game against Ohio State, it was favored in every matchup.

But for Texas to be competitive for the national championship next season, it has some serious rebuilding to do. The Longhorns have already lost 11 players to the NFL Draft, with star wide receivers Matthew Golden and Isaiah Bond forgoing the rest of their eligibility. Running back Jaydon Blue has also decided to forgo his final year of eligibility.

Though quarterbackQuinn Ewershas yet to announce his decision, it is unlikely that he will be returning to Texas next season asArch Manningis set to be the next starting quarterback.

With Manning leading Texas and a top recruiting class coming in, Texas has some of the best odds to win the national championship, with different websites having the Longhorns as the favorite. Manning will also have some of the highest expectations of anyone in the country and is already favored to win the Heisman Trophy.

Texas will have a less than easy path to the championship next season, as it will go on the road for several SEC tests. The Longhorns will play at Georgia, Kentucky and Florida along with a week one trip north for a rematch with Ohio State in Columbus.

Despite being favored, Texas will need to show its talent on the field. Steve Sarkisian will need to reload in the transfer portal as it is expected for more players to declare for the NFL draft and several others are out of eligibility.

Even with the mass losses to both sides of the ball, Texas still has some of the best odds to win the national championship and is favored to be the top team in the SEC for the second season in a row.

This article first appeared on Texas Longhorns on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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