EA Sports’ College Football 26 early access is open to the public starting Monday. If the developers can predict the future as well as they create a positive gaming experience, the upcoming season could be full of surprises.
The Alabama Crimson Tide (+1,000 to win the national championship at FanDuel) and Georgia Bulldogs (+600) are the highest-ranked teams in the NCAA 26 video game.
Key Takeaways
- Georgia and Alabama are rated 94 overall, two points above the next-closest teams.
- A potential 16-team playoff bracket would feature teams from five conferences.
- Texas is favored to win the national championship but would only be the ninth seed according to the team ratings.
College Football 25 sold 2.2 million copies of its Deluxe Edition before its official release last year. The game’s unveiling ended an 11-year drought since the last version, NCAA Football 14, was released.
EA Sports mostly hit the nail on the head with last year’s game. Of their three cover athletes, one was Travis Hunter, the eventual Heisman winner, and another was Quinn Ewers, quarterback of a Texas team that was ranked first in the country at one point and made it to the College Football Playoff semifinal.
The cover athletes for this year’s game are Alabama’s Ryan Williams and Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith Jr. More importantly than that, EA’s team ratings provide many fans with their first glimpse of what could unfold on the field in the fall.
We're Back. #CFB26
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Below is a potential College Football Playoff bracket, according to College Football 26’s team ratings, and the betting odds that go along with every team. With a stroke of luck, the game could provide not just entertainment for gamers, but winning futures bets as well.
NCAA 26 predicts the CFP
The final College Football Playoff 2026 bracket will be finalized by Dec. 1. The general expectation is that a 5+11 16-team bracket with the five highest-ranked conference champions and 11 at-large bids will replace last year’s 12-team bracket.
#1 Alabama (94 OVR) vs. #16 Florida (89 OVR)
Alabama (+1,000) is one of the two highest-rated teams in the game. The Tide are 4.5-point road underdogs to Georgia ahead of their Sept. 27 game, though the fate of the auto bid wouldn’t be decided until the SEC Championship Game. Florida (+3,700) has a potential Heisman candidate in DJ Lagway under center but faces a brutal schedule.
#2 Ohio State (92 OVR) vs. #15 Penn State (89 OVR)
Ohio State (+600) won last year’s national championship in dominant fashion, and also beat Penn State earlier in the year, 20-13. The Nittany Lions (+800) have a potential top draft pick in QB Drew Allar and an improved cast to support him.
#3 Clemson (91 OVR) vs. #14 Oklahoma (89 OVR)
Clemson (+1,100) is stuffed with potential first-round draft picks, and their best quarterback in recent years, Cade Klubnik. Oklahoma is relying on transfer QB John Mateer to lead them to the promised land, though he’ll have to face the toughest schedule in the country.
#4 Colorado (86 OVR) vs. #13 LSU (89 OVR)
Even without Travis Hunter and Shedeur Sanders, the Buffaloes (+60,000) are expected to win the Big 12, based on team ratings. As the largest underdogs on the list, they’ll take on SEC powerhouse LSU (+1,800) and potential Heisman candidate Garrett Nussmeier.
#5 Boise State (79 OVR) vs. #12 Michigan (89 OVR)
Ashton Jeanty is gone, but Boise State (+40,000) still has the highest team rating of any non-power conference school. They could potentially face a rebuilding but stout Michigan team (+3,400) that only went 7-6, but that beat Ohio State and Alabama to finish the season.
#6 Georgia (94 OVR) vs. #11 Miami (91 OVR)
Georgia (+600) is one of four power conference teams that are favored to win every game on its schedule, though the Bulldogs are second to Texas in odds to win the SEC. They could potentially line up across from Miami (+3,600), who landed ex-Georgia QB Carson Beck in the transfer portal during the offseason.
#7 Notre Dame (92 OVR) vs. #10 Texas A&M (92 OVR)
The Irish (+1,500) are back for revenge after they made it to the national championship game under third-year coach Marcus Freeman. They beat Texas A&M 23-13 to start the season last year, but the Aggies (+3,800) have a talented roster and a manageable schedule.
#8 Oregon (92 OVR) vs. #9 Texas (92 OVR)
Oregon (+950) got bounced in its first game in the CFP last year despite going undefeated up until that point. The ‘26 bracket wouldn’t be any kinder to the Ducks, as they’d get a powerhouse Texas team (+550) that is favored to win the national championship under the guidance of QB Arch Manning.
Conference champions
1.Alabama (94) - SEC
2. Ohio State (92) - Big Ten
3. Clemson (91) - ACC
4. Colorado (86) - Big 12
5. Boise State (79) - Mountain West
At-large bids
6. Georgia (94) - SEC
7. Notre Dame (92) - Independent
8. Oregon (92) - Big Ten
9. Texas (92) - SEC
10. Texas A&M (92) - SEC
11. Miami (91) - ACC
12. Michigan (89) - Big Ten
13. LSU (89) - SEC
14. Oklahoma (89) - SEC
15. Penn State (89) - Big Ten
16. Florida (89) - SEC
