There’s still a long way to go before the start of the 2026 season.
Spring practice, summer workouts and fall camp are all still to come before anything is decided on the gridiron this fall.
But prediction markets such as Kalshi have already begun to ask a simple question: Which college football teams will have an undefeated regular season in 2026?
Predicting undefeated college football seasons
Before we dive in, let’s go over some recent history. Since 2014, there have been 27 teams to go undefeated during the regular season (not including conference championship games). That figure excludes the COVID-impacted 2020 campaign, which saw some teams run the table with a little as 7 games.
That means there’s about 2.5 teams that accomplish this feat per season. There’s been at least 1 in every campaign since 2014, with the number peaking in 2023 with 5 teams running the table.
Still, in the grand scheme of FBS football, there’s very few teams who are able to look up at the end of the season and see a perfect regular season.
For 2026, though, a few candidates do stand out. Let’s break down to the top contenders for this accomplishment on Kalshi:
Texas Tech, 34% chance on Kalshi
Texas Tech just missed out on a 12-0 regular season in 2025, losing only to Arizona State (without starting quarterback Behren Morton). The Red Raiders have reloaded once again this offseason, landing a transfer class that ranks No. 10 nationally. That includes former Cincinnati quarterback Brendan Sorsby, whom some evaluators viewed as the top signal-caller in this year’s transfer cycle.
Of course, a huge factor in whether or not the Red Raiders can run the table will be their schedule. Tech’s nonconference schedule is a non-issue: Abilene Christian, Sam Houston and then a road game at Oregon State. The conference slate looks more than manageable, too, with road games against Colorado, Cincinnati, Oklahoma State and Baylor. Tech will certainly be favored in home games against Houston, Arizona State, Arizona, West Virginia and TCU. Crucially, Tech avoids BYU and Utah, who were the Big 12’s other top teams last season.
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Notre Dame, 31% chance on Kalshi
Notre Dame was left at the altar by the College Football Playoff selection committee this past December, but the Fighting Irish are an early favorite for the National Championship in 2026. Not only that, but Notre Dame has the second-best odds on Kalshi (as of publication) to go undefeated during the regular season.
Notre Dame does lose star running back Jeremiyah Love to the NFL, but quarterback CJ Carr will be back in South Bend after his impressive debut season as a starting quarterback. Carr ended the season No. 5 nationally in passer efficiency rating.
Notre Dame’s schedule isn’t as flashy this season as it often is at the top. The Irish do open the season with Wisconsin but their ACC slate isn’t very impressive outside of a rematch with Miami. There’s plenty of bottom-rung Power 4 teams like Michigan State, Purdue, Stanford, Boston College and Syracuse on the schedule. It’s possible Notre Dame will be tested by the likes of North Carolina and SMU, but not overly likely.
It’s possible a bet on 12-0 Notre Dame comes down to a matchup against the Hurricanes in South Bend on Nov. 7. The Fighting Irish are likely to be favored by at least a touchdown in all 11 of their other contests, with the possible exception of a trip to BYU on Oct. 17.
Indiana, 23% chance on Kalshi
The Hoosiers, of course, ran the table in 2025 and have just 1 regular-season loss over the entire 2-year Curt Cignetti era. Indiana isn’t sneaking up on anyone in 2026 though, but still has the third-best odds to go 12-0 according to the latest Kalshi odds.
Indiana has once again hit the transfer portal hard this offseason — a necessity given its lackluster high school recruiting compared to the bluebloods it is competing alongside. The Hoosiers hauled in the No. 8 transfer portal class in the nation this cycle, per 247Sports Composite rankings.
Indiana loses Fernando Mendoza and is taking a big swing with former TCU quarterback Josh Hoover as his presumed replacement. Hoover led the Big 12 in interceptions in 2025, but still put up a better passer efficiency rating than Mendoza did in 2024 with Cal. At this point, Indiana’s staff has more than earned the benefit of the doubt with regards to its portal QB scouting.
Schedule-wise, IU doesn’t exactly have it easy. It’s a much tougher slate than Notre Dame and Texas Tech. The Hoosiers are set to face Ohio State and USC at home while also making trips to Michigan and Washington. A trip to Nebraska won’t be easy, either.
Kalshi’s marketplace includes prices for numerous other teams to go undefeated (or not) this upcoming regular season, including Georgia, LSU, Texas A&M, Miami and Alabama, among others.
Spenser is a news editor for Saturday Down South and covers college football across all Saturday Football brands.
