Arch Manning is one of the best QBs in the nation, although he wasn't rated as such by EA Sports' College Football 26. The Texas Longhorns are considered by many to be the best team in the nation, as evidenced by their Preseason AP Poll rank.
It would not be a surprise, then, if Manning guided them to their first title in quite some time. They're the betting favorite for that, so that's the safe pick. However, according to several College Football 26 simulations, that might actually be far from safe.
After going through 50 simulations by FOX Sports, Texas wasn't the most common champion. That honor was a tie between Clemson, Georgia, and Penn State, who each won it all in eight of the 50 outcomes. That implies that, based on video game logic, one of them has the best shot at winning the title.
Where was Texas? They only won the championship in one of those 50 simulations, which is as many as Duke, Notre Dame, Nebraska, Alabama, Indiana, and Florida. A few exceptions aside, that's not the group Texas expected or would want to be in.
Other champions include Texas A&M (twice), Michigan (twice), Oklahoma (three times), Oregon (four times), Miami (four times), and Texas Tech (four times). Perhaps even more shocking than Texas getting one is that Ohio State, the defending champion, got zero.