2026 National Championship Picks: BNK Experts Pick Their Favorites To Win It All

First, it was the Michigan Wolverines winning the national championship in the 2023 season. Then, it was the Ohio State Buckeyes. Last year, it was the Indiana Hoosiers. Will the Big Ten Conference make it four titles in a row? Could a team that has been knocking on the door in recent seasons end its title drought? Or is the next Indiana poised to emerge and strike? Urban Meyer, Matt Leinart, Mark Ingram and Brady Quinn gave their 2026 college football title predictions on Week 1’s edition of “Big Noon Kickoff.” 2025 Outcome: 12-2, lost in the quarterfinal round of the College Football Playoff as the No. 2 seed Week 1 AP Ranking: No. 1 What Meyer said: “The talent acquisition that has taken place in Columbus, Ohio, is unprecedented. The last few years, they’ve had 25 draft picks, and they all made NFL rosters. I think it continues. They’ve recruited extremely well.” 2025 Outcome: 13-2, lost in the semifinal round of the College Football Playoff as the No. 5 seed Week 1 AP Ranking: No. 2 What Leinart said: “I think this is finally the year they kind of push through the door. Offensively, [quarterback] Dante Moore elected to come back. That’s huge for them. We know the offense is highly skilled and will score a lot of points. I just think the defense has a chance to be elite. I’m going to pick the Ducks to finally win their first championship.” What Ingram said: “That defense has eight returning starters, and that’s one of the reasons why I’m high on them. And, quite frankly, their last two losses that they’ve had in the last two seasons have come to an eventual national champion. I think they get over the hump this year. [Head coach] Dan Lanning has created a culture of success. I think the Oregon Ducks find a way to get it done this year.” 2025 Outcome: 10-2, missed the College Football Playoff Week 1 AP Ranking: No. 4 What Quinn said: “[Head coach] Marcus Freeman has inspired the Notre Dame fan base. They’ve got a quarterback that’s going to be a first-round pick [CJ Carr] and a great defense. Yes, they lost a couple of first-round picks, but I’m going to go with Notre Dame. They’ve got a ton of guys coming back. They’re on a mission after missing the playoff last year.”