Hello Sportsfans!! Welcome back. It has been a while, but I am looking forward to the fall 2026 sports slate. The weather is about to get cooler, the leaves will change color, and, most importantly, college football returns!!
The 2026 college football season is poised to be nothing short of exhilarating. The decision-makers have made it clear that the 12-team playoff format will remain in place for at least another year. With the transfer portal buzzing and key coaching changes shaking up several prestigious FBS programs, the landscape is rapidly evolving. After Indiana claimed its first national championship in 2025, this season is primed to deliver even more excitement and intensity. With that in mind, here are five bold predictions for the upcoming FBS season:
Indiana and LSU will not make the 12-team playoff. The defending national champions, led by coaching extraordinaire Curt Cignetti, figure to be among most pundits' favorites for a return trip to the playoffs. And yet, despite another favorable schedule that sees the Hoosiers host both Ohio State and USC, Indiana will finish the regular season at least 9-3 or worse. While two of those losses are to the aforementioned Buckeyes and Trojans, they also take a third loss to someone like Michigan or Washington on the road.
LSU, on the other hand, appears to be an outside favorite to win it all after former Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin decided to take the job in Baton Rouge. At the end of the day, however, neither Kiffin nor all his former NFL talent will be enough to secure a top 12 finish necessary to secure a playoff battle. In fact, the closest LSU comes to the playoff is week one when the Tigers face the...Tigers (Clemson) in a week one showdown.
Arch Manning will return for a fifth season in Austin. The consensus number one overall pick by many members of the media, Manning will once again struggle against the Buckeyes in a week 2 showdown. A similarly uneven performance in the playoff means that Manning falls out of the top 10 on most draft boards, and, after conferring with his uncles and grandfather, Arch ultimately decides to remain a Longhorn.
Targeting, as it is currently written, will be scrapped in favor of a policy that better promotes player safety. The current rule is too ambiguous and often penalizes players or programs that don't deserve it. The NCAA ends up, prior to the end of the season, adopting a policy that is more clear-cut.
Trinidad Chambliss wins the 2026 Heisman Trophy in one of the closest contests in years. Chambliss, returning to Ole Miss after deciding he wasn't ready for the NFL, beats out challengers Dante Moore and Jeremiah Smith by less than 100 points combined, making this the closest Heisman race in history.
Miami wins the 2026 College Football Playoff, defeating Ole Miss in the final 35-21. Mario Cristobal's group, runners-up last season, gets their revenge this season, beating BYU in the quarterfinal and Notre Dame in the semifinal before taking care of the Rebels for their first national championship since 2001.
Looking forward to recapping all the action this weekend
