Urban Meyer picks College Football Playoff Champion for 2026

Former Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer named his top picks for the 2026 College Football Playoff National Championship. Meyer, a three-time champion coach, shared his predictions on The Triple Option podcast on Wednesday. His selections include Texas, Ohio State and Oregon as the top contenders with Tennessee as his dark horse pick.

Meyer’s first choice, Texas, aligns with the pick made by former Alabama star and Heisman winner Mark Ingram. Ingram backed the Longhorns, citing their strong defense, top-tier recruiting, and upcoming quarterback Arch Manning.

“The favorite, plus 550, I had to go with I had to go with the Longhorns man,” Ingram said. [47:20 onwards]

"You got Arch Manning coming ... they got good players coming back they have one of the best defenses in the country. I think they have good culture, they got the NIL money to go ahead and get whoever they want out of the spring portal, out of the fall portal, you know what I mean, retain players so as of now with the top five favorites I'm going to go plus 550 with Texas."

Ohio State was Meyer’s second pick. He praised the Buckeyes for their recruiting and potential with Julian Sayin.

“I'm going to go with Texas too. Ohio State, obviously they’re loaded, and they recruit their tails off ... I'm going say Texas, Ohio State, Oregon in that order,” Meyer said. [48:20]

Meyer’s third pick, Oregon, comes as no surprise given the Ducks' rising national presence. While he didn’t elaborate much on their chances, Oregon’s recent recruiting and competitive standing in the new Big Ten landscape likely played a role in his choice.

For his dark horse selection, Meyer went with Tennessee. Though not a primary favorite, the Volunteers have been making strides under head coach Josh Heupel. With a strong offense and continued development, they could shake up the playoff picture.

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Fans react to Urban Meyer’s 2026 National Championship picks

Urban Meyer’s College Football Playoff predictions sparked mixed reactions from fans after On3 shared them on X. Many were surprised he didn’t put Ohio State at the top.

"lol and people complain about Desmond Howard’s picks," one fan wrote.

“Shocked he ranked someone on top of OSU,” one fan commented.

Others questioned his understanding of the format.

“He picked 4 teams to win the natty? I don’t think he understands how this works,” one fan commented.

“Tennesee with the Big Boys. Ok Tennesee coming from a Buckeye fans.. Tennesee taking over the SEC! They may best Texas,” a fan wrote.

Ohio State’s ranking also faced criticism.

“Ohio State is very overrated right now. I expect OSU to have major problems defensively,” another fan said.

Urban Meyer’s picks have certainly fueled debate, with fans divided on his choices.