Way-Too-Early College Football Top 10 Teams for 2026 Season...

It's never too early to rank teams for next season. Before Curt Cignetti can crack open his first beer to celebrate the Indiana Hoosiers' undefeated season and first-ever national championship, it's time to talk about who should be the favorites going into the 2026 campaign. We've seen the transfer portal explode, with over 5,000 student-athletes from across the country making the jump to new teams, and every single program at the top of the college football hierarchy was affected one way or another. Without further ado, here are my top 10 teams heading into next fall as they look to conquer the College Football Playoff. More news: LSU’s Lane Kiffin Accused of Using Transfer Portal to ‘Destroy’ Ole Miss MIAMI GARDENS, FLORIDA - JANUARY 19: Fernando Mendoza #15 of the Indiana Hoosiers scrambles while under pressure from Rueben Bain Jr. #4 of the Miami Hurricanes during the first quarter in the 2026 College Football Playoff National Championship at Hard Rock Stadium on January 19, 2026 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Ishika Samant/Getty Images) More news: Is Curt Cignetti Ever Happy? Indiana Coach Responds Before CFP Semifinal 1. Indiana Hoosiers To beat the champion, you have to knock them out. Until proven otherwise, Curt Cignetti is the kingmaker of college football, and it isn't wise to bet against him. Josh Hoover is a top-end quarterback and could win the Heisman Trophy like Fernando Mendoza did this year, and could be the nation's best signal-caller. And while they're losing a lot of their top-end talent, many of those names weren't even known before this year's run. There's no reason to doubt Cignetti's eye for talent. 2. Texas Longhorns Steve Sarkisian and the Texas boosters went all-in on what will more than likely be Arch Manning's final year of college ball. They picked up possibly the best running back of the transfer portal in Hollywood Smothers, poaching him from Alabama at the last second. They also picked up the best wide receiver transfer, Cam Coleman, from SEC rival Auburn. 3. Ohio State Buckeyes Ryan Day will be back, and though he ended the CFP in tatters, Julian Sayin is only going to be stronger from his loss to Miami in the quarterfinals. They're going to need to replace some of their defensive depth and superstar Caleb Downs, but the weapons are there in Columbus. Bo Jackson and Jeremiah Smith are just too good not to elevate a team to contender status. 4. Georgia Bulldogs Kriby Smart isn't going to be happy with how he went out this most recent season, and the Bulldogs will be back with some vengeance in 2026. The defense is always going to be stellar, and a strong running back room behind Gunner Stockton in his second year as a full-time starter is key. It would be a shock if Smart isn't back in the playoffs next season. 5. Notre Dame Fighting Irish Marcus Freeman could have gone to the NFL this offseason with how many jobs are open in the pros and the interest franchises had in him, but he believes this Notre Dame squad can win it all. The Fighting Irish will miss Heisman candidate Jeremiyah Love in the backfield, but CJ Carr has the tools to take his spot in New York City and possibly take home the trophy if everything goes right. LUBBOCK, TEXAS - AUGUST 30: Mascot Raider Red of the Texas Tech Red Raiders gestures before the game against the Arkansas-Pine Bluff Golden Lions at Jones AT&T Stadium on August 30, 2025 in Lubbock, Texas. (Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images) 6. Texas Tech Red Raiders Texas Tech opened its bountiful wallet and signed Brendan Sorsby to a megadeal to kick off the transfer portal, setting them up for another strong season. Along with the star QB, they will still have a stalwart defense and playmakers offensively to be seen as favorites in the Big 12. 7. Oregon Ducks Can Dan Lanning win the big one? The return of Dante Moore is setting up a season for Lanning and the Ducks in which doing well in the regular season and getting a win or two in the CFP won't be enough. After back-to-back seasons of getting blown out in their final game, the Ducks need to prove themselves when the lights are the brightest. 8. Miami Hurricanes I'm putting the Hurricanes this high, believing that Duke QB Darian Mensah will be playing in South Beach come next season. If he is, the Hurricanes' offense will be something special and could look more like it was under Cam Ward than under Carson Beck. They acquired Jarquez Carter from the Buckeyes, but the massive hole left by Rueben Bain Jr. is not going to be filled by any one player. 9. BYU Cougars The Cougars were so close to making the CFP last season, and they'll be even better in 2026. Bear Bachmeier is my pick to be the breakout young QB of next season, and if he can develop correctly, the sky is the limit in Utah for the Cougars. Kalani Sitake put down his flag at BYU, even with offers from Penn State and other Power Four schools, and he's ready to take the next step with his program. 10. LSU Tigers The main character and/or antagonist of the transfer portal, Lane Kiffin, feels confident going into next season. If Sam Leavitt can stay healthy and return to the form or better that led the Arizona State Sun Devils to the CFP, this ranking might be too low. For me, the season comes down to Leavitt and whether his foot injury is fully healed or if he'll keep getting banged up playing his in-your-face style.