Conference championship week has arrived in college football, and top contenders will face off to try to secure their spots in the College Football Playoffs. Getting to the playoffs is hard, but running the table and winning the National Championship is its own challenge.
The Scout Sports Staff has made our picks for who we believe will win the National Championship.
Indiana
By Jake Aimone
Coming off of last year’s first-round exit, the Hoosiers entered this season with something to prove. Already improving on their win total, Indiana touts a top-5 scoring offense, total offense, and total defense.
Head coach Curt Cignetti has lit a wildfire under the Hoosier organization, and it’s shown in their 23-2 record since his arrival last year in Bloomington. Not to mention, quarterback Fernando Mendoza and his nation’s best 32 touchdown passes are in serious contention for the Heisman award.
No matter the outcome this Saturday versus Ohio State in the Big Ten National Championship game, the Hoosiers are primed to make a push for the national title.
Georgia
By Jaylen Harris
With elite talent on both sides of the ball, the Bulldogs can win it all.
The team’s defense remains a hallmark of the program, and the offense, led by a dual-threat quarterback like Gunner Stockton and surrounded by an explosive supporting cast of receivers and running backs, has proven to be incredibly efficient and dangerous.
Having navigated a demanding SEC schedule to finish 11-1 and likely earn a high seed in the College Football Playoff, they are a battle-tested, motivated and complete team built to peak and finish the job against any opponent on the biggest stage, drawing on the experience of their recent championship runs.
Texas A&M
By Ethan Diamond
The Aggies may have lost their final game of the season, but that was on the road against a strong Texas team. Their resume this season speaks for itself, with their most decisive win coming on the road at Notre Dame.
Quarterback Marcel Reed took a step up this season, and I’m confident he can settle in for the playoffs. Receivers KC Concepcion, Mario Craver and Ashton Bethel-Roman will help Reed out.
Defensively, the Aggies will want to force more turnovers to take down the top teams. They only intercepted three passes and recovered six fumbles this season compared to Reed’s 10 interceptions.
While there are flaws in this Aggie side, they are built to make a run at the national title.
Texas Tech
By Mark Wagner
While they are a sneaky pick to win it all, Texas Tech can realistically do it this year.
The team that produced NFL talents such as Jordyn Brooks, Michael Crabtree and Patrick Mahomes is currently ranked No. 4 in the College Football Playoff rankings. A big part of their 2025 run has been their star players on both sides of the ball.
Quarterback Behren Morton isn’t in the Heisman race, but he’s had a consistent season. Running back Cameron Dickey has totaled over 1,000 rushing yards, and wide receiver Caleb Douglas has been averaging 15.5 yards per catch.
On the defensive side, linebacker Jacob Rodriguez has 101 total tackles, and defensive back Brice Pollard has five interceptions. As a group, the Red Raiders are as strong as ever and will have a decent chance to bring the championship trophy home to Lubbock, even with a more brutal predicted playoff schedule than other teams.
Ohio State
By Latif Love
In the name of parity and entertainment, we can pretend that any team but Ohio State will win the national championship this season. Shoutout Indiana, Georgia, Texas A&M, Texas Tech and all the other teams in the college football playoff, but the Buckeyes are repeating.
The boys in scarlet and silver have three of the five best players in the nation and the best defense in the country by far. Ohio State has been able to sleepwalk through most of its competition and has honestly never looked like it is trying that hard. Still, their average margin of victory is 25.5 points.
