College football predictions 2026: Sporting News' expert picks for playoff, national title, Heisman and more

Who could have predicted that Indiana would win the College Football Playoff championship last season? 

Better yet, can the Hoosiers do it again? The 2026 college football season starts with Indiana's bid to win back-to-back national championships under Curt Cignetti. One expert on Sporting News' seven-person panel has the Hoosiers winning a national title. Three experts picked Oregon, two picked Notre Dame and one picked Texas. Nobody picked Ohio State even though the Buckeyes are No. 1 in the AP Preseason Top 25 and Coaches Poll. 

We didn't just pick the national champions. Who will win the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12 and SEC this season? Which teams will make the third installment of the 12-team College Football Playoff? Who wins the Heisman Trophy? Remember, nobody picked Fernando Mendoza last year either. We also have the breakout teams and can't-miss freshman heading into the 2026 college football season. 

BENDER: Picks against the spread for Week 1

Sporting News college football predictions 2026 

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Bill Bender,  SN senior writer 

ACC champ: Miami 
Big Ten champ: Indiana 
Big 12 champ: BYU 
SEC champ: Georgia
CFP field: Indiana, Georgia, Ohio State, Notre Dame, Texas, Oregon, Miami, Ole Miss, Oklahoma, USC, BYU, Boise State  
CFP championship: Indiana beats Notre Dame
Heisman Trophy winner: CJ Carr, QB, Notre Dame 
Impact freshman: Chris Henry Jr., WR, Ohio State 
Breakout team: Louisville  

Thoughts: "There are seven schools that can win a national championship – but to me it comes down to Indiana, Ohio State and Notre Dame, which won't go over well in SEC country. I wouldn't dispute any of those picks. The Buckeyes are loaded as usual, but the schedule is the toughest among all Big Ten or SEC teams. Notre Dame has enough first-class talent around quarterback CJ Carr – who will become the program's first Heisman Trophy winner since Tim Brown in 1987. Oregon, Georgia and Texas all would be good picks, too, and among those three teams I like Georgia the most. We looked at 11 major polls and publications, and nobody put the Bulldogs at No. 1. We're quite certain Kirby Smart can work with that.

USC takes the pressure off Lincoln Riley by squeaking into the playoff, and Louisville and Miami is a toss-up in the ACC championship game. Jeff Brohm could make his first CFP appearance. Ultimately, it comes down to how much you doubt Curt Cignetti. I tried that schtick last year and believed there was no way they could win at Iowa, Oregon or Penn State – let alone a Big Ten championship game against the Buckeyes. Few believe the Hoosiers can do it again – but I learned my lesson. Josh Hoover picks up where Fernando Mendoza left off, and a nasty defense navigates through the playoff into a matchup with Notre Dame – looking for its first national title since 1988. Sorry, but we can't bet against Cignetti again.”

MORE: Five storylines to track, from Lane Kiffin to ND's revenge tour

Bill Trocchi, SN senior editor

ACC champ: Miami
Big Ten champ: Oregon
Big 12 champ: BYU
SEC champ: Texas
CFP field: Oregon, Ohio State, Indiana, Miami, BYU, Texas, Boise State, Notre Dame, Georgia,
Oklahoma, Louisville, Texas A&M
CFP championship: Notre Dame beats Oregon
Heisman Trophy winner: Arch Manning, QB, Texas
Impact freshman: Chris Henry Jr., WR, Ohio State
Breakout team: UCLA

Thoughts: "Am I falling for the James Madison magic with UCLA? Yup. Curt Cignetti left James Madison and turned Indiana into a power. Bob Chesney will now try to do the same at UCLA after enjoying success at pretty much every level there is – D3, D2, FCS and Group of 6. Now he's in the Big Ten, with a good QB and a manageable schedule (sound familiar?). Nine wins is possible for a team that has done that just once since 2014. As far as the Heisman, I'm bringing back some 'Arch Madness.' If he throws for 300 yards and beats Ohio State in Week 2, then good luck getting him out of the driver's seat. Jeff Brohm gets Louisville into the CFP for the first time, BYU and Bear Bachmeier (what a name!) save us from another Texas Tech Big 12 title. Notre Dame finally ends its national championship drought with a perfect season. Dan Lanning has Oregon inching closer and closer, but in the end, it will be the Irish defense that gets Marcus Freeman over the finish line in what could be the start of a multi-year seat at the CFP Final Four table."

Elliott Pohnl, SN managing editor 

ACC champ: Louisville
Big Ten champ: Penn State
Big 12 champ: Texas Tech
SEC champ: Georgia
CFP field: Louisville, Memphis, Oregon, Penn State, Ohio State, Texas Tech, Georgia, Texas, Notre Dame, Houston, Indiana, Alabama
CFP championship: Oregon beats Georgia
Heisman Trophy winner: Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele, QB, Cal
Impact freshman: Keisean Henderson, QB, Houston
Breakout team: Auburn 

Thoughts: "Penn State fans got used to having their collective hearts broken by 'Big Game James.' New season, new coach, new trajectory for the Nittany Lions program, as Matt Campbell takes his pedigree of pulling massive top 10 upsets to Happy Valley. Despite never having a recruiting class that ranked in the top 45 composite nationally, the Ohio native was 4-7 against top 10 teams as head coach of Iowa State. He brought almost all of his best players with him from ISU, led by QB Rocco Becht. Good things are ahead for Penn State, which has one of the most favorable schedules in the Big Ten."

Rob Cassidy, SN senior editor 

ACC champ: SMU
Big Ten champ: Oregon
Big 12 champ: Texas Tech
SEC champ: Georgia
CFP field: Notre Dame, Oregon, Georgia, Texas Tech, SMU, Miami, Ohio State, Texas, USC, LSU, BYU, Memphis
CFP championship: Oregon beats Notre Dame
Heisman Trophy winner: Dante Moore, QB, Oregon
Impact freshman: Faizon Brandon, QB, Tennessee
Breakout team: SMU

Thoughts: "If you can't pick a wild card in the ACC, then where can you pick one? The way I see it, the Mustangs will be a medium-sized upset and a coin-flip game or two away from winning the conference title. With respect to Miami, picking them to find a way into the field doesn't seem THAT crazy. SMU gets even more intriguing when you realize they are led by fifth-year QB Kevin Jennings, who is as dynamic as he is seasoned. Are they a lock to win the ACC? No, but it's certainly not an insane long shot.

On the Heisman front, I feel like I should explain that I do not believe Dante Moore is the best NFL prospect in the class, but I'm convinced he's the best college QB. He's the exact type of veteran leader that can carry Oregon to a long-awaited national title.

Special shout to new Kansas State head coach Collin Klein, who may have the horses and the acumen to make some serious noise in the Big 12. I'm not sure a conference title or a playoff berth is in the cards this year, but a nine-win season feels possible if not likely." 

MORE: Breaking down the Heisman Trophy race

Dan Treacy, SN senior content producer 

ACC champ: Miami
Big Ten champ: Ohio State
Big 12 champ: Texas Tech
SEC champ: Texas
CFP field: Ohio State, Notre Dame, Oregon, Texas, Georgia, Miami, Indiana, LSU, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Penn State, Boise State 
CFP championship: Texas beats Ohio State
Heisman Trophy winner: Dante Moore, QB, Oregon
Impact freshman: Jared Curtis, QB, Vanderbilt 
Breakout team: Oklahoma State

"Appropriately after Indiana's unbelievable national championship, this college football season appears to be as wide open as any in recent memory. Picking a champion is difficult, and the sport could see its fifth different winner in five years. If the SEC is going to break its title drought, Texas could be the team to do it. Arch Manning clearly got more comfortable as last season went on, and he's joined by two new offensive weapons in wide receiver Cam Coleman and running back Hollywood Smothers. If the Longhorns can get defensive players to step up, they are positioned to compete for a championship.

Ohio State and Notre Dame should both be in that mix as well, but don't discount Indiana just yet with Curt Cignetti's brilliance and Josh Hoover's strong fit as Fernando Mendoza's replacement. This season's breakout team could be Oklahoma State, where new coach Eric Morris brings tantalizing quarterback Drew Mestemaker with him from North Texas, but a resurgent team could be Penn State, which has a fresh injection of energy under Matt Campbell and a fairly light schedule.

On the Heisman front, championship contention doesn't necessarily guarantee Manning will win. Julian Sayin and Jeremiah Smith figure to each put up big numbers at Ohio State, but Dante Moore is best positioned for a massive year after his decision to return to Oregon. Those are the obvious names, but Mendoza's win in 2025 serves as a reminder that this year's Heisman might not be anyone we are thinking about right now."

MORE: SN'S 2026 preseason All-America team | All-Decade All-America teams

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Morgan Moriarty, SN content producer 

ACC champ: Miami
Big Ten champ: Ohio State
Big 12 champ: BYU 
SEC champ: Georgia  
CFP field: Ohio State, Texas, Miami, Notre Dame, BYU, Georgia, Oregon, Indiana LSU, Alabama, Ole Miss, Memphis
CFP championship: Notre Dame beats Ohio State
Heisman Trophy winner: Trinidad Chambliss, QB, Ole Miss 
Impact freshman: Faizon Brandon, QB, Tennessee 
Breakout team: Florida

Thoughts: "All eyes will be on LSU and college football's favorite villain, Lane Kiffin. The talent he has on his roster in Year 1, paired with a manageable schedule will be plenty to give the Tigers a bid. Kalani Sitake leading BYU to the playoff will give him some respect he's long overdue, and as long as Notre Dame continues to not play in a conference, Marcus Freeman will have a playoff team virtually every season. For my Heisman pick, as fun as Arch Manning winning would be, Trinidad Chambliss has his best season yet while proving his doubters wrong.

The last SEC playoff spot will be hotly contested between Texas A&M and the Rebels. New Ole Miss coach Pete Golding will be eager to prove him leading a deep CFP run after the Kiffin saga was no fluke. 

In a world where Indiana won a national title just eight months ago, who really knows what the 2026 college football season will hold? But I like Ohio State-ND in the national championship game, and it'll give the sport we love a vintage, throwback feel. In an era with a chaotic transfer portal, messy coaching exits and players making more money than most of us will see in a lifetime, we could all use that.

What better way for Freeman to complete his cultural overhaul in South Bend by beating his alma mater?"

SN 140: Top 20 teams of all-time | Best programs by decade

Daniel Mader, SN content producer

Ultimately, though, the Kiffin haters get the last laugh, with Dante Moore and Oregon finally breaking through with a deep CFP run after beating Ohio State on Nov. 7. The Ducks' experience, particularly with Moore, make them tough to take down come December and January. Indiana will remain rock-solid under Curt Cignetti, but a loss to a rising USC team will be too much to overcome for a CFP berth.

In my more fun predictions, Jeremiah Smith somehow levels up again in his final college season, putting himself in 'best college receiver ever' conversations despite Ohio State coming up short of the title, North Dakota State proves its FCS dominance can translate despite a true 'resume' win, and Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele supplants Arch Manning as the 'next big thing' at quarterback, generating Heisman and 2028 NFL buzz.

And, as is the nature of college sports in 2026, I expect at least one or two lawsuits/rule changes to stir up more controversy."