All 138 teams in Bowl Subdivision open the college football season dreaming of winning a national championship. But who really has a shot to win it all?
It’s no secret college football is wildly unpredictable. Predictions are made throughout the summer of what we think will happen, just for it to be ruined by surprising results on the way to shaping the College Football Playoff bracket. While it makes endless possibilities of what the 12-team field could look like, it’s even tougher trying to figure out who will be that one team that stays hot at the end to become national champions.
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Luckily, there is something that can help. The release of College Football 27 means people can get their first look of the upcoming college football season. With nearly every star player in the game, it mirrors the real world fairly close into which teams appear to be in great position to win the national title. So, USA TODAY Sports simulated the 2026 college football season in the video game 100 times to see who would win the championship − and how often − to get a real good sense of who could be the kings of the sport.
Who won a national championship in College Football 27 simulation?
There were 21 teams that won the national championship at least once in the simulations. It’s no surprise the majority of them came from the Power Four conferences − six SEC, five Big Ten, five ACC and three Big 12. The two exceptions were independent Notre Dame and Boise State of the Pac-12.
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Teams listed in alphabetical order
Most national championships in College Football 27 simulation
The most frequent national championship winner is Ohio State. It won the title 22 times, the only team to win it at least 20. That came off making the playoff 85 times, and reaching the national championship game a whopping 57 times.
Is it a good omen? In last season’s simulation, the team with the most titles was Penn State, which didn’t even reach the playoff.
College Football 27 simulation national champions breakdown
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Ohio State: 22 national championships
The prediction could give hope to fans of the teams that did win it, but it easily can end up not being any of the 21 squads. Last season’s champion Indiana didn’t even win it once in the simulation.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: College Football 27 predicts who will win national championship in 2026 season
