Just days away from the kickoff of the 2026 college football season, ESPN college football analyst Kirk Herbstreit has already made his national championship prediction. During a recent episode of the “Nonstop” podcast, which he hosts with former Ohio State star Joey Galloway, Herbstreit named the four teams he thinks will make it to the semifinals of the College Football Playoffs before ultimately choosing a winner. Herbstreit, who is also one of five hosts of ESPN’s “College GameDay” along with Pat McAfee, Nick Saban, Desmond Howard, and Rece Davis, believes the final four will be Ohio State, Notre Dame, Georgia, and reigning national champion Indiana.
Can you imagine the state of Indiana if that happened? Indiana against Notre Dame in the national championship — and I got C.J. Carr and Notre Dame winning the national title over Indiana.” Notre Dame has gained some momentum in recent weeks as a popular national championship favorite.
The Fighting Irish currently have the second-best odds of winning the national title (+600) behind only Ohio State (+550), according to FanDuel. Conversely, Georgia has the fourth-best odds (+800) and Indiana is tied for the fifth-best odds (+900). Indiana, Ohio State, and Georgia, were the top three seeds in the CFP last year, respectively, while Notre Dame didn’t make the CFP field.
The Irish famously boycotted their bowl game after losing out on the CFP to the Miami Hurricanes. Notre Dame reportedly has a guarantee to be included in the College Football Playoff field if it finishes ranked in the top 12 this season.
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