247Sports Predicts College Football's 2025-26 National Champion
01/14/2025 01:04 PM
The college football season is set to reach its conclusion in just a few days, and two of the most storied programs in history will compete for the national championship.
Ohio State and Notre Dame found their way through the first-ever 12-team playoff, and one will be rewarded with a national title on Monday night.
The Buckeyes or Fighting Irish will finish 2025 as national champions, but who's trending in the right direction next year? 247Sports attempted to answer the question, as Brad Crawford predicted the national champion in the 2025-26 season.
Crawford picked Ohio State to defeat Notre Dame this season, and he picked the Buckeyes to return to the title game next season - but in a losing effort.
"Ryan Day will come close to finishing the 2025 season with his second consecutive championship, but Steve Sarkisian gets his first instead with Arch Manning as his starting quarterback," Crawford predicted, choosing Texas as next year's national champion.
Crawford noted that this would be a rematch of last week's national semifinal, and that Ohio State and Texas are set to play each other to open the season next year.
Texas is still seeking its first national championship since the 2005 season, when they defeated USC in the Rose Bowl. The Longhorns would return to the national title game in the 2009 season but lost to Alabama, as Nick Saban captured his first championship with the program.
Crawford also noted that all of the top four teams from this season - Texas, Ohio State, Notre Dame and Penn State - are all expected to have roster continuity going into next season, and that they should be expected to contend once again.
The transfer portal and late signings could also have an impact on which teams could rise to contention next season. The expanded playoff also gives teams a chance to get into the hunt, and any team has the potential to go on a run when the tournament begins.
We'll see if Crawford's prediction for a Texas national championship comes true next year, or if another team makes their way to the top of the mountain in college football.
Related: ESPN Predicts Notre Dame's Starting Quarterback For 2025
