Who wins college football national championship? Video game simulates season
With the college football season just around the corner, it’s time to theorize which team will be the one to win a national championship.
And what better way to figure out who could actually do it than in the virtual world?
With EA Sports College Football 26 out, the video game allows gamers the chance to play the upcoming season in dynasty mode. With realistic rosters and coaches, the teams with high ceilings in real life have the same expectations in the video game, therefore the best odds to win a title. But with so many contenders and the unpredictable college football season yet to start, it’s tough to figure out who could really win it all.
To determine it, USA TODAY Sports simulated the 2025-26 college football season in the video game 100 times to see who would frequently win the national championship. There were some outliers, but plenty of teams won multiple titles in the season, giving a sense of who could really be hoisting the College Football Playoff trophy in January.
Most national championships in College Football 26 simulation
Penn State won the most national championships in the 100 simulations with 20 titles. The Nittany Lions also made the College Football Playoff 88 times, the most of any team.
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Which teams won a national championship in College Football 26 simulation
A total of 20 teams won a national championship game in the simulation. Except for Notre Dame, all of the champions came from a Power Four conference − seven SEC, four Big Ten, four Big 12 and four ACC.
Teams listed in alphabetical order
Alabama
Baylor
Clemson
Duke
Florida
Georgia
Iowa State
Kansas State
LSU
Miami
Michigan
Notre Dame
Oklahoma
Oregon
Penn State
Pittsburgh
Southern California
Texas
Texas A&M
Texas Tech
College Football 26 simulation national championship breakdown
Penn State: 20 national championships
Oregon: 15 national championships
Georgia: 12 national championships
Clemson: 10 national championships
Miami: Eight national championships
Texas Tech: Six national championships
Michigan: Six national championships
Duke: Five national championships
Texas: Four national championships
Oklahoma: Three national championships
Southern California: Two national championships
Florida: One national championship
Texas A&M: One national championship
Alabama: One national championship
Notre Dame: One national championship
Iowa State: One national championship
Baylor: One national championship
LSU: One national championship
Kansas State: One national championship
Pittsburgh: One national championship