The 2026 college football season was a testament to chaos.
The Indiana Hoosiers, with an all-time record of 510-691-38 and no 10-win seasons before head coach Curt Cignetti’s arrival in 2024, ran the table and won the national championship with a 16-0 record. The team they beat in the national championship game, the Miami Hurricanes, did not even reach their conference championship game, and neither team that did make that ACC championship reached the College Football Playoff. And somehow Notre Dame, ranking 10th in the final AP Poll of the season, did not make the College Football Playoff, setting off one of the greatest firestorms in the history of the post-BCS format.
College football can reward the same great programs like Alabama and Ohio State on a yearly basis, but the most predictable aspect of the sport is its constant ability to ignite debates and compel fans to tune in.
For my college football preview article this year, I’m giving my predictions for the top 5 finishers in each major conference, top 5 finishers in the Group of 6 conferences and how I foresee the College Football Playoff and national championship turning out. But I would be remiss if I also don’t provide my thoughts on the five juiciest college football storylines this year, so I’ll lead off with those must-see narratives.
Enjoy!
Top Storylines
- Lane Kiffin turns full heel with defection to LSU – A continuation of last year’s storyline, Kiffin Mania might not have even reached its peak yet. With Ole Miss barreling toward the College Football Playoff last year, head coach Lane Kiffin chose to leave the Rebels to become the head coach of one of its biggest rivals, LSU. Suffice it to say, the LSU-Ole Miss game this year will be pretty tense, with both teams shaping up as CFP contenders. Kiffin welcomed in the nation’s best transfer portal class and should make last year’s nightmare in Baton Rouge an afterthought, but are the Tigers overrated because of all the buzz around them? A dominant SEC could keep LSU out of the final 12, but LSU should, at the very least, stay a hot-button topic.
- Big Ten looks to continue run of dominance – For all the SEC’s mantras about their games meaning more, the Big Ten has been the best at the game that undoubtedly matters the most. Michigan, Ohio State and Indiana are the last three college football national champions, while the SEC has underperformed in the CFP and have not even made the national championship since Georgia’s win in 2023. Oregon is well-positioned to continue that streak, led by the player who I anticipate will win the Heisman Trophy, quarterback Dante Moore. And we could get one of those aforementioned three recent champions running the table again. Still, I like the SEC’s chances to break the “drought.” Texas, led by Arch Manning, reloaded in the offseason and will be formidable, and CFP entrants Georgia, Oklahoma, Alabama, Texas A&M and Ole Miss could be back in the bracket this season. And that is to say nothing of LSU, which absolutely has its eyes on the national championship. The Big Ten looks terrific at the top, but the SEC will be a tough out come playoff time.
- Arch Manning aims higher than No. 1 overall pick – Despite missing the College Football Playoff and falling short of impossible expectations, Arch Manning is the player I am most excited to watch this season. He improved over the course of last season, and the experience and talent in his receiving corps set the stage for another leap this year. Manning is still considered the top quarterback prospect in the college ranks, though his focus in coming back to Austin for another year is to restore the Longhorns to national championship glory (and maybe the Heisman Trophy conversation while he’s at it). I think Manning and Texas will make 2026 their long-awaited storybook season.
- Sizing up the next Indiana – The Hoosiers, a perennial loser, built on their surprise College Football Playoff appearance in 2024 by going undefeated and winning the national championship. Indiana was the story not just of last season, but one of the greatest underdog sports stories all time. While quarterback Fernando Mendoza moved on to the NFL, head coach Curt Cignetti has his roster back in contender shape, and Indiana projects to stay in the top tier of Big Ten programs. I don’t think the Hoosiers will go undefeated again given the NFL departures and strength of the conference, but Indiana is here to stay as a powerhouse program, words that feel surreal to say after their struggles for decades.
- Stadium opening, Fitzgerald rematch headline Northwestern’s season – Maybe Northwestern’s 2026 season isn’t a draw on a national scale, but I graduated from there, so I naturally have thoughts. The opening of the new Ryan Field, the Wildcats’ new $862 million stadium, will be a landmark day in Evanston, especially if Northwestern can defeat Penn State again. Before that, the Cats will also play their final game at Martin Stadium on the Lake Michigan shores against Deion Sanders’ Colorado (I will be there!). But I’m also looking ahead to Northwestern’s matchup against Michigan State and former head coach and star linebacker Pat Fitzgerald. Fitz was the one who brought in Northwestern’s current head coach, David Braun, so the handshake may be more cordial than after the Ole Miss-LSU game. I’m still expecting each side to have a bit extra juice coming into this matchup. A lower-level bowl is probably the ceiling, but with offensive coordinator Chip Kelly calling the shots and a new quarterback in Aidan Chiles, Northwestern could make waves in the talented Big Ten.
ACC Projected Standings
1. Miami Hurricanes
2. Virginia Tech Hokies
3. Clemson Tigers
4. SMU Mustangs
5. Louisville Cardinals
Big Ten Projected Standings
1. Oregon Ducks
2. Ohio State Buckeyes
3. Indiana Hoosiers
4. USC Trojans
5. Washington Huskies
Big 12 Projected Standings
1. BYU Cougars
2. Texas Tech Red Raiders
3. Utah Utes
4. Houston Cougars
5. Arizona Wildcats
SEC Projected Standings
1. Texas Longhorns
2. Georgia Bulldogs
3. Oklahoma Sooners
4. Texas A&M Aggies
5. Ole Miss Rebels
Group of Six Projected Standings
1. Navy Midshipmen
2. Boise State Broncos
3. James Madison Dukes
4. UNLV Rebels
5. New Mexico Lobos
College Football Playoff Projections
First Round
8 Indiana over 9 Oklahoma
5 Notre Dame over 12 Navy
6 Georgia over 11 USC
10 Texas Tech over 7 BYU
Second Round
1 Oregon over 8 Indiana
5 Notre Dame over 4 Ohio State
3 Texas over 6 Georgia
10 Texas Tech over 2 Miami
Semifinals
1 Oregon over 5 Notre Dame
3 Texas over 10 Texas Tech
Championship
3 Texas Longhorns over 1 Oregon Ducks
Riker's Block 