There are dozens of teams that could have good college football seasons in 2026. There are probably 15 or so that could realistically make the College Football Playoff. Depending on how generous you want to get with the definition of “contender,” somewhere between six and 10 schools could convince themselves a national championship is possible.
But there are four teams I keep coming back to: Texas, Texas A&M, Indiana and LSU.
These aren’t necessarily the four best teams in college football, though some or all of them could eventually fit that description depending on how the season unfolds. No, they’re the four squads I believe will have the largest impact on how we experience this season. Texas A&M finally broke through under Mike Elko and now has to prove it wasn’t a one-year excursion toward greatness. Indiana is attempting to figure out what life looks like after improbably going 16-0 and climbing to the top of the college football mountain. LSU, meanwhile, handed Lane Kiffin the keys to the castle and told him that he can do whatever the heck he wants.
And then there’s Texas.
No team entered last season carrying more expectations, and few left it feeling quite as strange. The Longhorns were the preseason No. 1 team in America according to both the AP poll and myself but finished the season outside the College Football Playoff. Some early-season misgivings were to blame for the unfortunate fate of Steve Sarkisian’s team, including but not limited to Arch Manning’s slow buildup and the offense’s inability to run the ball worth a lick, but the year ended in a fine spot, leaving Texas fans with optimism heading into 2026.
Speaking of Texas fans, Travis Davidson has been a longtime friend and is perhaps the most passionate Longhorn supporter I know. I don’t believe there’s a human on the planet who thinks about Texas athletics quite as much as Travis. If anyone understands the mixture of optimism, anxiety and inevitable nonsense that comes with believing in this program, it’s him.
So, rather than spend the next several minutes pretending I understand the inner workings of the Texas psyche, I figured I’d go directly to the source.
