College Football Championship Prediction 2027: Early 12-Team CFP Bracket & Best Bets

The college football season doesn't kick off until Aug. 29, but it's never too early to start thinking about the College Football Playoff, and my early college football championship prediction expects a clear trend to continue in 2026-27.

Following Indiana's historic championship run, the Big Ten has had three different programs win the last three national titles, proving itself as the best conference in college football. And I think the conference is set to make it a four-peat in 2027.

🏆 College football championship prediction 2027: 12-team CFP bracket

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*Reports indicate that FCS powerhouse North Dakota State intends to jump to the FBS and join the Mountain West for the 2026-27 season. If the Bison make the jump, they'll immediately be among the top Group of Six programs; however, the NCAA would need to approve a waiver to allow them to participate in the 2026-27 postseason 

💰 CFP National Championship prediction: Best bets & long shots

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Best bet: Oregon (+800)

No team got better news at the NFL draft declaration deadline than Oregon. Rather than having to break in a new QB this season with a championship roster, Dan Lanning has a Heisman contender in Dante Moore.

Moore, who was projected to be the No. 2 pick had he declared for the draft, is surrounded by a loaded room of playmakers. The Ducks bring back the best tight end in the country in Jamari Johnson, breakout freshman running backs Jordon Davison and Dierre Hill Jr., and one of the best wide receiver corps in college football (Dakorien Moore, Evan Stewart, Jeremiah McClellan, and transfer Iverson Hooks).

And as good as Oregon's offense looks on paper, the defense is even better. Lanning's program brings back all four starting defensive linemen (A'Mauri Washington, Matayo Uiagalelei, Bear Alexander, Teitum Tuioti), all of whom are projected to be top 100 picks. It also returns freshman phenom Brandon Finney Jr. in the secondary and breakout linebacker Jerry Mixon.

Plus, Lanning bolstered the roster with a No. 3 ranked recruiting class that includes three five-star recruits and a transfer portal class headlined by safety Koi Perich, who was a second-team All-American as a freshman at Minnesota. 

Oregon was one of three teams to finish last season ranked in the top 10 on offense and defense by SP+, and the Ducks' only two losses came against the national champions, Indiana. This is Lanning's best team since taking over in Eugene, and it's poised to get over the hump.

Long shot: Michigan (+4500)

Despite the Sherrone Moore era in Ann Arbor coming to an ugly end, Michigan enters the 2026 season in surprisingly good shape. The hire of former Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham was a perfect one to flip the culture, and he's already injected the Wolverines' coaching staff and roster with plenty of toughness and talent.

Whittingham brought offensive coordinator Jason Beck with him from Utah, one of the best run game designers in college football, and hired defensive coordinator Jay Hill away from BYU. 

The Wolverines also bring in a top-20 transfer portal class, led by defensive lineman John Henry Daley, cornerback Smith Snowden, and wide receiver/tight end JJ Buchanan, all of whom helped Utah win 11 games last season.

However, the key to Michigan winning a second national title in four years is Whittingham and Co. developing the talent the Wolverines already have, including former No. 1 recruit Bryce Underwood.

Underwood's freshman campaign was sporadic, but considering the circumstances, there was more good than bad. He clearly has everything physically to become a superstar, and it certainly helps that the Wolverines also bring back fellow freshman stars Andrew Marsh and Jordan Marshall.

If Underwood levels up, Whittingham has the personnel to push for a College Football Playoff bid, and maybe even a national title.

Hail Mary: Oklahoma State (+40000)

The hire of Eric Morris at Oklahoma State is one of the most interesting in college football, and not just because he's been dubbed a "quarterback whisperer." The Mike Leach protege is essentially bringing in his entire roster from a North Texas team that went 12-2 last season.

While it's fair to be skeptical about the idea of what's basically a Group of Five program making the jump to the Big 12 and finding instant success, hear me out. The Mean Green were historically dominant on offense last season, finishing ranked No. 1 on offense by SP+.

Now, Morris brings that North Texas program's star QB (Drew Mestemaker), all-conference running back (Caleb Hawkins), and two of its top wide receivers (Wyatt Young, Miles Coleman) to Stillwater. But that's not all, the Pokes signed the No. 7 transfer portal class, which includes 53 players. That's the most in the country by a double-digit margin.

This is a completely different team than the one that went 1-11 and fired Mike Gundy three games into the season last year. Is it realistic that Oklahoma State wins the national championship? Hell no. They likely won't come near making the College Football Playoff.

But this is the most interesting Hail Mary bet on the board because of what Morris and Mestemaker managed last season at North Texas. The Pokes are positioned to pull off the biggest turnaround in the Big 12 in 2026.