The wait is finally over. College football returns this Saturday with the Aer Lingus College Football Classic in Dublin, Ireland, as Bill Belichick’s North Carolina Tar Heels face No. 23 TCU. By Thursday, September 3, the full slate kicks off with 13 games.
If the offseason debates are any indication, this could be one of the most unpredictable seasons in years. Here are the 10 storylines that will define 2026.
1. Can the Big Ten Win a Fourth Straight National Title?
For three consecutive seasons, the Big Ten has stood at the mountaintop of college football—Michigan in 2023, Ohio State in 2024, and Indiana in 2025. Now the conference is chasing history: no league has won four straight national championships in the poll era.
The biggest contenders are Ohio State, Oregon, and Indiana, who all made the College Football Playoff in 2025 and start the 2026 season in the AP Top 10. Ohio State is preseason No. 1 for the first time since 2015, receiving 40 first-place votes. Oregon sits at No. 2 with 14 first-place votes. And defending champion Indiana? The Hoosiers are No. 6—still receiving six first-place votes under Curt Cignetti.
But the SEC isn’t going quietly. Georgia, the two-time defending SEC champion, is ranked No. 3. The conference leads all leagues with nine teams in the preseason Top 25. The debate over which conference is truly dominant will rage all season.
2. The Heisman Race Is Stacked with Quarterbacks
Nine quarterbacks and one wide receiver headline the Heisman Trophy race this season. The betting favorite? Notre Dame’s CJ Carr, who threw for 2,741 yards, 24 touchdowns, and six interceptions in his first season as a starter.
But the name everyone knows is Arch Manning. The Texas quarterback is entering his second season as the Longhorns’ starter after a breakout 2025 campaign. He’s joined by a murderer’s row of quarterback talent: Ohio State’s Julian Sayin, Oregon’s Dante Moore, Ole Miss’s Trinidad Chambliss, Miami’s Darian Mensah, and Georgia’s Gunner Stockton are all in the mix.
The only non-quarterback with serious Heisman buzz? Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith—who might be the most talented player in the country regardless of position.
3. The Coaching Carousel Has Never Been Wilder
Nearly 20 Power Four programs enter the 2026 season with a new head coach. The biggest names? Lane Kiffin left Ole Miss for LSU, instantly becoming one of the most fascinating figures in the sport. Matt Campbell took over at Penn State and brought in 40 transfers this offseason. Kyle Whittingham, the long-time Utah legend, is now leading Michigan.
Then there’s Curt Cignetti at Indiana, who’s trying to solidify himself as a legend following a perfect 16-0 national championship season. The transfer portal has become a godsend for new coaches looking for quick turnarounds—LSU’s Kiffin reeled in 40 transfers during the 2026 portal cycle alone.
4. The Pac-12 Is Back
The conference that was raided a few years ago has officially risen from the ashes. The Pac-12 returns in 2026 with eight teams, primarily pulling from the Mountain West. Boise State, Colorado State, San Diego State, Utah State, Fresno State, and Texas State all joined Oregon State and Washington State to form the new-look conference.
But there’s a catch. The new Pac-12 isn’t considered a “Power” conference anymore—it’s the most intriguing Group of Six conference on the map. This realignment has sent ripple effects across the entire FBS, with Northern Illinois moving to the Mountain West, North Dakota State jumping from FCS to the Mountain West, and Sacramento State joining the MAC. The old map is gone. A new one is being drawn.
5. The 12-Team Playoff—And the 24-Team Debate
The College Football Playoff remains a 12-team field for the third consecutive season. But there are new tweaks:
Power 4 conference champions (ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, SEC) receive automatic bids.
The highest-ranked Group of Six school gets an automatic berth.
Notre Dame qualifies if ranked in the top 12.
The top four teams receive first-round byes.
Teams ranked No. 5-8 host first-round home playoff games.
But the bigger story is the battle over the future. Conference commissioners are debating whether to expand to 16 or even 24 teams. The ACC, Big 12, and Notre Dame have joined the Big Ten in supporting expansion. The SEC is caught in the middle. Expect this debate to dominate headlines all season—and potentially reshape the sport entirely.
6. The Must-Watch Games of the Season
Circle these dates on your calendar:
Week 1 (Sept. 5): Clemson at LSU — Lane Kiffin’s LSU debut against Dabo Swinney’s Tigers.
Week 2 (Sept. 12): Ohio State at Texas — Two national title contenders, potential Heisman winners at quarterback, and one of the SEC’s most hostile venues.
Week 3 (Sept. 19): LSU at Ole Miss — Lane Kiffin returns to Oxford. Enough said.
Week 4 (Sept. 26): Oklahoma at Georgia — A massive SEC showdown.
Other blockbusters include Oklahoma at Michigan (Week 2), Oregon at Oklahoma State, Tennessee at Georgia Tech, and Florida State at Alabama. The non-conference schedule is absolutely loaded.
7. The New Rules You Need to Know
Several rule changes are taking effect in 2026:
Targeting penalties: First offense results in a suspension for the remainder of the current game only (instead of the current game and the first half of the next). A second targeting penalty triggers a first-half suspension in the next game.
Offensive pass interference: Now a 10-yard penalty, reduced from 15 yards.
Coaches’ challenges: Two replay challenges available per game. A third can be earned if both are successful.
These changes might seem small, but they could have massive implications in close games.
8. The Redshirt Era Is Ending
One of the most significant changes flying under the radar: redshirts are gone. There’s a transition period for the new five-year eligibility window, but younger players will see the field earlier and more often.
Combined with the explosive growth of NIL and the transfer portal, teams are increasingly building through immediate contributions rather than long-term development. This is a fundamental shift in how college football programs are constructed—and it’s happening right now.
9. The SEC’s Nine-Game Nightmare
The SEC added a ninth conference game this season, and it’s already causing headaches. With nine league games, the margin for error has shrunk dramatically. One loss could be the difference between a playoff berth and a New Year’s Six bowl.
Georgia has road trips to Alabama and Ole Miss. Texas hosts Ohio State in non-conference play before navigating the SEC gauntlet. The league that has dominated college football for decades is now facing its toughest schedule in years. Can the SEC reclaim supremacy—or will the Big Ten’s dynasty continue?
10. The Cinderella Watch: Who Will Crash the Playoff?
Every season brings surprises. This year, keep an eye on:
USC (No. 14) — returns quarterback Jayden Maiava and a FBS-high 15 starters.
Michigan (No. 16) — new coach Kyle Whittingham, sophomore QB Bryce Underwood, and a top-tier defense.
Washington (No. 17) — rising star QB Demond Williams Jr. had 3,676 all-purpose yards and 31 touchdowns in 2025.
Iowa (No. 22) — Kirk Ferentz’s defense and special teams always make the Hawkeyes dangerous.
And don’t sleep on the Group of Six. Boise State, now in the revamped Pac-12, could be the highest-ranked non-power conference team. The playoff door is wider than ever—and someone unexpected is going to walk through it.
The 2026 college
football season has everything: a conference chasing history, a Heisman race full of star quarterbacks, a coaching carousel that’s spinning faster than ever, realignment that’s redrawing the map, and a playoff system that’s both settled and unsettled at the same time.
The season starts Saturday. Buckle up.
What are you most excited about this season?
