by Al McMordie
Friday, Aug 28, 2026The NCAA season will kick off this weekend, so I'm back with my crystal ball to forecast which team will hoist the National Championship Trophy in January. Last year was another great one for my Futures predictions, as I cashed 3 of the 6 I released here, including the Michigan Wolverines (20-1), Los Angeles Dodgers (+260) and Carolina Hurricanes (+850).
This College Football season, I look for the Big 10 Conference to continue its trend. The Michigan Wolverines won the Title in 2023, then Ohio State hoisted the hardware in 2024, and Indiana got the job done last year. Like the Hoosiers last season, Oregon will be seeking its first National Title. But unlike Indiana, Oregon has been knocking on the door for a long time. Indeed, since 2010, the Ducks have been a Preseason Top 5 team five times, and have finished the season in the Top 5 another five times. But a #1 ranking has eluded them. This season, the Ducks are #2 in the Associated Press poll, with Ohio State (#1), Georgia (#3), Notre Dame (#4) and Texas (#5) rounding out the Top 5. Let's take a look at the current odds, courtesy of DraftKings:
Ohio State: +600
Notre Dame: +600
Texas: +650
Oregon: +750
Georgia: +850
Indiana: +900
Miami-Fla: +1000
LSU: +1700
Texas Tech: +2200
Alabama: +2500
Texas A&M: +2500
Mississippi: +3000
Oklahoma: +3000
USC: +3500
Michigan: +4000
Penn State: +6500
Tennessee: +7000
Florida: +7000
Auburn: +8000
BYU: +9000
Oregon comes into this season with its strongest roster ever, and has 10 five-star players, based on 247Sports' ranking. The Ducks will be led by QB Dante Moore, who could have entered the NFL draft last April, but chose to return to Eugene, instead. Moore will have a deep group of receivers to throw to, including Evan Stewart (who missed the 2025 season with a torn patellar tendon), Dakorien Moore, Jeremiah McClellan, Jalen Lott, Messiah Hampton, and Iverson Hooks. Last year, Moore threw for 3,525 yards and 30 touchdowns, though he underperformed against some of the top defensive units (Texas Tech, Indiana, Iowa). This season, the veteran QB will be better, and will have a better supporting cast. I wouldn't be surprised to see Moore do what Fernando Mendoza did last season: win the Heisman Trophy, the National Championship, and be the #1 pick of the 2027 NFL Draft.
On defense, the Ducks have an experienced group returning, including seniors Matayo Uiagalelei, A'Mauri Washington and Teitum Tuioti, junior Koi Perich, and sophomore Brandon Finney Jr. (Washington, Perich and Finney Jr. are preseason All-Americans.)
Beyond the talent, the Ducks have superb coaching. Dan Lanning has gone 48-8 SU and 31-20-1 ATS with the Ducks since leaving his job as Georgia's defensive coordinator, including 17-1 SU and 10-8 ATS in the Big 10 regular season. And both post-season losses in the College Football Playoffs were against teams that won the National Championship. Take Oregon at +750 (DraftKings) to win the National Championship.
Good luck, as always,
Al McMordie
This College Football season, I look for the Big 10 Conference to continue its trend. The Michigan Wolverines won the Title in 2023, then Ohio State hoisted the hardware in 2024, and Indiana got the job done last year. Like the Hoosiers last season, Oregon will be seeking its first National Title. But unlike Indiana, Oregon has been knocking on the door for a long time. Indeed, since 2010, the Ducks have been a Preseason Top 5 team five times, and have finished the season in the Top 5 another five times. But a #1 ranking has eluded them. This season, the Ducks are #2 in the Associated Press poll, with Ohio State (#1), Georgia (#3), Notre Dame (#4) and Texas (#5) rounding out the Top 5. Let's take a look at the current odds, courtesy of DraftKings:
Ohio State: +600
Notre Dame: +600
Texas: +650
Oregon: +750
Georgia: +850
Indiana: +900
Miami-Fla: +1000
LSU: +1700
Texas Tech: +2200
Alabama: +2500
Texas A&M: +2500
Mississippi: +3000
Oklahoma: +3000
USC: +3500
Michigan: +4000
Penn State: +6500
Tennessee: +7000
Florida: +7000
Auburn: +8000
BYU: +9000
Oregon comes into this season with its strongest roster ever, and has 10 five-star players, based on 247Sports' ranking. The Ducks will be led by QB Dante Moore, who could have entered the NFL draft last April, but chose to return to Eugene, instead. Moore will have a deep group of receivers to throw to, including Evan Stewart (who missed the 2025 season with a torn patellar tendon), Dakorien Moore, Jeremiah McClellan, Jalen Lott, Messiah Hampton, and Iverson Hooks. Last year, Moore threw for 3,525 yards and 30 touchdowns, though he underperformed against some of the top defensive units (Texas Tech, Indiana, Iowa). This season, the veteran QB will be better, and will have a better supporting cast. I wouldn't be surprised to see Moore do what Fernando Mendoza did last season: win the Heisman Trophy, the National Championship, and be the #1 pick of the 2027 NFL Draft.
On defense, the Ducks have an experienced group returning, including seniors Matayo Uiagalelei, A'Mauri Washington and Teitum Tuioti, junior Koi Perich, and sophomore Brandon Finney Jr. (Washington, Perich and Finney Jr. are preseason All-Americans.)
Beyond the talent, the Ducks have superb coaching. Dan Lanning has gone 48-8 SU and 31-20-1 ATS with the Ducks since leaving his job as Georgia's defensive coordinator, including 17-1 SU and 10-8 ATS in the Big 10 regular season. And both post-season losses in the College Football Playoffs were against teams that won the National Championship. Take Oregon at +750 (DraftKings) to win the National Championship.
Good luck, as always,
Al McMordie
