2026 College Football Preview
As a kid, I always looked forward to that random Saturday in August when I would travel with my father to our local Barnes & Noble. While he tracked down his next encyclopedia-sized French and Indian War page turner, I headed over to the magazine section to absorb the wisdom from a variety of sagacious sports writers in their annual previews for the upcoming season of my favorite sport, college football. At that time, college football was a world of wonder. Back then, loyalty existed, non-championship bowl games were viewed as an honor instead of a mandatory inconvenience, and teams didn’t have to fly across the country in order to play a conference foe. Sure, the BCS was encumbered by its own flaws, but no biased media company or athletic director could affect its rankings.
Nowadays, college football is a dumpster fire with flames of decadence engulfing every remaining inch of the sport’s morality and sportsmanship. Each week this season feels like it’s destined to be marred by weekly controversies revolving around corrupt college town judges sordidly selecting what former NFL player is eligible to return to their alma mater for a seventh season. (I’m sure they’ll be focused on completing their second master’s degree with high academic honors though!) For over a decade, I’ve been an ardent supporter of college athletes earning their fair share of the billions of dollars in revenue generated off their labor each year. No college athlete should be penalized for N.I.L. pocket change stemming from video games, autographs, or local pancake house billboards.
However, the NCAA’s lack of action on the issue outside of kicking the can down the road for decades and placating to the desires of its broadcasters has led to an untenable quagmire of uncertainty and validity to the 2026 season and beyond. With all that being said, I concede that I’m part of the problem. Each Saturday this fall, I’ll be transfixed by the blaze of the dumpster expanding and all the glorious collegiate gridiron content that comes with it. So without any further sanctimonious soap box ranting, here’s my win-loss predictions for every Power 4 conference team (the results of Week Zero will have no impact on any of these), win-loss prediction for a particular independent Catholic school too haughty for a football conference or non-CFP bowl game, final overall conference standings, and my college football playoff projections. A few select teams of note will also feature a brief analysis on how I think their seasons will transpire.
*N0te for Standings: I meticulously went through each team’s schedule and predicted each win or loss. However, as the benevolent blogger that I am, I did not want anyone to try to read my chicken scratch (I had enough trouble myself) and attempt to interpret the hieroglyphics of results. Each game has most likely been properly accounted for and added to the tallies of the final standings. Some teams will be tied in the conference standings, but due to their head-to-head results, the teams with more overall wins will sometimes finish lower in their final position.
Big Ten
Final Regular Season Standings (Conference Record):
1 – Ohio State 12-0 (9-0) – An unblemished regular season record for the™ Ohio State University doesn’t sound crazy until you look at the schedule that includes an early contest in Austin against a top 5 team, potential Kinnick voodoo at Iowa, a match in Columbus versus a talented crew of Ducks, a huge match in Bloomington against the reigning champs, a trip across the country to LA Memorial Stadium for a war with the Trojans, and of course, the season concluding with The Game. Despite that gauntlet, their roster is still one of the most expensive and experienced for a reason.
2 – Indiana 11-1 (8-1) – Curt “Ripping Cigs” Cignetti is one of my favorite coaches for a few reasons: unrelenting stoicism, how he exploits his pair of extremely expressive eyebrows to intimidate the refs, and how much he reminds me of my coaches in dynasty mode in the college football video games.
3 – Washington 10-2 (7-2) – I guess it shouldn’t be too surprising that a team with a dog mascot is one of my sleeper picks for making the playoff. I mean just look at their new highly-touted transfer!
4 – Oregon 10-2 (7-2)
5 – Michigan 8-4 (6-3)
6 – Penn State 9-3 (6-3) – I’ll have a deeper dive on my alma mater’s team later this week featuring game-by-game analysis.
7 – Southern Cal. 8-4 (5-4) – I feel like ever since they choked against Tulane in the Sugar Bowl, they’ve never been able to live up to their preseason high expectations or display the dominant level of talent they consistently recruit.
8 – Illinois 8-4 (5-4)
9 – Iowa 8-4 (5-4)
10 – Maryland 7-5 (4-5)
11 – Minnesota 7-5 (4-5)
12 – UCLA 6-6 (4-5)
13 – Nebraska 6-6 (3-6)
14 – Michigan State 5-7 (3-6) – I think that my childhood team that rooted for primarily due to my adoration for the color “geen” will do slightly better than expected under Pat Fitzgerald, but the new coach’s lack of modern touch will cap the Spartans’ potential for greatness.
15 – Wisconsin 4-8 (2-7) – I’m predicting a high percentage of quit factor here for the Badgers as this season looks likely to be Luke Fickell’s last hurrah at the helm. Bucky at least is still safely in my top five college mascots.
16 – Rutgers 5-7 (2-7)
17 – Purdue 2-10 (1-8)
18 – Northwestern 3-9 (0-9)
Conference Championship Game:
Ohio State 23 Indiana 21
Big Twelve
Final Regular Season Standings(Conference Record):
1 – Texas Tech 12-0 (9-0) – They’re the worst off the field, but they’re the most talented Big Twelve team on the field and their schedule should allow them to coast to the conference championship game.
2 – BYU 11-1 (8-1) – For cultural fit purposes alone, I’m happy Coach Sitake, a practicing member of the Church of Latter-day Saints, stayed in Provo, Utah rather than leaving for a party school in the center of Pennsylvania. I think this Joseph Smith-level of commitment will pay off in an upset of the Catholics when Notre Dame travels out to the highly-elevated Wasatch Mountains in October.
3 – Utah 10-2 (7-2)
4 – Kansas State 9-3 (6-3)
5 – Houston 9-3 (6-3)
T6 – Arizona 7-5 (4-5)
T6 – West Virginia 6-6 (4-5) – They won’t attract the most talented recruits or collect the largest NIL fund in the country, but I believe in Rich Rod to establish an option-laden foundation that can return back to winning eight or nine games consistently.
T6 – Central Florida 6-6 (4-5)
T6 – Arizona State 6-6 (4-5)
T6 – TCU 6-6 (4-5)
T6 – Oklahoma State 6-6 (4-5)
12 – Colorado 4-8 (3-6)
13 – Baylor 5-7 (3-6)
T14 – Iowa State 4-8 (2-7)
T14 – Kansas 4-8 (2-7)
16 – Cincinnati 5-7 (2-7)
Conference Championship Game:
BYU 28 Texas Tech 26 2OT
ACC
Final Regular Season Standings(Conference Record):
1 – Miami 11-1 (9-0)
2 – SMU 9-3 (7-2)
3 – Clemson 8-4 (6-2)
4 – Georgia Tech 8-4 (6-2)
5 – Louisville 8-4 (6-3)
6 – NC State 7-5 (5-4)
7 – Cal 7-5 (5-4)
8 – Virginia Tech 7-5 (5-4) – I wish Franklin and Grunk all the best in their Hokie endeavors. I imagine it’ll follow the trends of his previous stops of taking a year or two of 7-6 before it gets going. Still, a winning record in year 1 will lead to an influx of donations from a galvanized fanbase that’s been through the ringer over the past decade. Three rivalry games stand out immediately on their schedule. 1. Maryland – I think if Franklin had a nuke that could destroy either a colossal asteroid hurling towards Earth with enough force to decimate the human population or just the Maryland football program, he’d take out the latter. 2. Virginia – The Former Drew Allar Backup QB Grudge Match between Pribula and Grunk takes place in the regular season finale’s Commonwealth Cup. 3. Pittsburgh – If I recall correctly from the late 2010s, James and Pat never seemed like the best of pals.
9 – Pitt 7-5 (5-4) – Speaking of Narduzzi, his teams always beat a team they shouldn’t and lose to one they should beat. Like it typically does, I see it ending in another 7 or 8 win season.
10 – Florida State 6-6 (4-4)
11 – Duke 6-6 (4-5)
12 – Virginia 7-5 (4-5)
13 – Syracuse 5-7 (3-6)
14 – Wake Forest 5-7 (2-7)
T15 – North Carolina 4-8 (1-7)
T15 – Boston College 2-10 (1-7) – On the positive side for everyone, I’m sure Bill O’Brien will land on his feet as a QB coach somewhere in the NFL and for Eagles fans, it’s almost hockey season!
17 – Stanford 3-9 (1-8)
Conference Championship Game:
Miami 37 SMU 24
Notre Dame
1/T Last – Notre Dame 11-1 – I have them beating Miami and making the playoff, so hopefully they’ll stop acting indignant about their CFP ranking and play their bowl game this year.
SEC
Final Regular Season Standings(Conference Record):
1 – Georgia 11-1 (8-1)
2 – Texas 10-2 (8-1)
3 – Oklahoma 10-2 (7-2)
4 – LSU 9-3 (6-3) – The toxic Lane Train ceaselessly rolls on towards its terminus of our nation’s undivided attention. Unfortunately, for the Bayou Bengals and all the NFL players on their roster, I foresee their season being derailed by losses to Kiffin’s old teams, Ole Miss and Tennessee.
5 – Texas A&M 9-3 (6-3)
6 – Alabama 9-3 (6-3)
T7 – Tennessee 8-4 (5-4) – I can envision Dolly magic producing an upset or two in Knoxville this season.
RIP Queen. Dolly P you’ll always be, a sweet sweet queen to me! Good ol’ Dolly P! Dolly P Tennessee!
T7 – Ole Miss 8-4 (5-4)
9 – Florida 7-5 (4-5)
T10 – Auburn 6-6 (3-6)
T10 – South Carolina 6-6 (3-6)
T10 – Missouri 6-6 (3-6)
T10 – Vanderbilt 6-6 (3-6)
T14 – Kentucky 4-8 (2-7) – Bowl eligibility will be on life support throughout conference play, but at least it will be more alive than Mitch McConnell.
T14 – Arkansas 4-8 (2-7)
16 – Mississippi State 3-9 (1-8)
Conference Championship Game:
Georgia 27 Texas 20
CFP Predictions
Opening Round
1. Ohio State 13-0
2. Georgia 12-1
3. Notre Dame 11-1
4. Miami 12-1
5. BYU 12-1 vs 12. Boise State 12-1 (BYU 24 Boise St. 20)
6. Indiana 11-2 vs 11. Oregon 10-2 (Indiana 30 Oregon 27)
7. Texas Tech 12-1 vs 10. Texas 10-3 (Texas 23 Texas Tech 15)
8. Washington vs 9. Oklahoma (Washington 28 Oklahoma 21)
Quarterfinals:
Miami 30 BYU 17
Indiana 31 Notre Dame 28 OT
Texas 34 Georgia 28
Ohio State 38 Washington 17
Semifinals:
Ohio State 27 Miami 24
Texas 35 Indiana 33
Final:
Ohio State 26 Texas 19
