I got news for you, and it ain’t just that USC gotta Boobie Feaster — eatin’. Or that the Big Ten got two turbos at running back (Richard at Indiana; Rogers at Ohio State) and you ain’t even heard the lag hit. Or that UCLA got receiver Major Pride, or that Ampersand U, also known as Texas A&M, got running back Tiger Riden Jr. And the doggone circus ain’t even in town.

Here it is: You’re about to watch the most competitive season of college football ever. It has never been harder to win than it is in 2026.

“I agree with you,” UCLA coach Bob Chesney told me. “I think that probably a lot of it stems from the fact that every year it’s a new team as well, right? There’s a lot of new guys on a lot of teams across the country every single year. Some made their team better. Some didn’t.

“Ultimately, for me, the margins are thin, and that’s what you’re pointing toward. It’s not easy to be in a position where you just walk out and expect to win a football game. Doesn’t really happen anymore in my mind.”

(Photo by David Dennis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

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At Big Ten media days last month, I pointedly asked Chesney about how difficult it is to win a college football game as someone who’s coached at almost every level the NCAA offers. From Division III Salve Regina, to Division II Assumption, to FCS Holy Cross, to Group of Six James Madison, to, now, Big Ten UCLA. He’s also won at every one of those levels, and led the Dukes to their first-ever College Football Playoff appearance before USC, Wisconsin or Florida — to name three — could (or ever) do the same.

There’s never been a fiercer fight for players, to win recruiting battles, to raise money to fund a roster and a program capable of winning.

“I think you got to fight and scratch and claw for everything that you got, and you got to bring these kids together as quickly as you possibly can that maybe never played together before, and with coaches that maybe never coached together before,” Chesney told me. “So the continuity we have coming from JMU to here [UCLA], bringing some coaches and players, I think is paying itself forward quite a bit.

“But ultimately, I agree with the sentiment. It is a challenge to end up on the left side of that column.”

(Photo by Paul Bersebach/MediaNews Group/Orange County Register via Getty Images)

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The way I see it, 2019 Oklahoma would’ve never seen a semifinal in this new era of ball. LSU might’ve never had a chance to stomp a mudhole in the Sooners and walk it dry, as it would’ve been the No. 1 seed in a 12-team CFP. 2025 Oklahoma might have beaten that 2019 team by three scores, and it gave up the booty (a synonym for treasure, you cad) at home while up 17-0 to an Alabama team that got RKO’d by Indiana.

That same Indiana program was a dumpster dweller in 2023. Then Curt Cignetti arrived, and a program I ranked 97th in the 2024 Ultimate 134 CFB Ranking ended its season 11-2 with a berth in the CFP.

(Photo by CFP/Getty Images)

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Perhaps a previous Oklahoma team would’ve earned a No. 4 seed based on record. But so did Texas Tech in 2025, and the Ducks showed you what happens when the defense is as supremely over-matched as the Red Raiders were in the face of a better team. And Miami showed what can happen if the right quarterback walks through the door at the right time. Still, neither Mario Cristobal nor Miami has ever won the ACC championship because it’s damn hard to do.

The players are smarter and older, and there’s never been more money and resources behind them. 

Consider that a player can make 60 starts over the course of their career and as many as 80 with the new rules. It’s not hard for a Power Four starting quarterback to clear $30 million over five years. 

I need to catch up people here: This is professional football with a term limit. It will be a theme in my work this year. This is the story of 2026, a sport that is quite literally ungovernable and getting older, more skilled, smarter by the day.

It’s never been harder to move the ball. FBS teams averaged just 383.5 yards per game in 2025. That’s the lowest output for total offense per game across the subdivision since 2010. 

It’s never been harder to score, either. FBS teams averaged just 27.5 points per game last season, and that’s the lowest average points per game across the subdivisions since 2010, too.

Predictably, though, since clock rules changed in 2023, offenses are running fewer plays and seeing fewer possessions. Couple that with the knowledge that defenses are increasingly built not to take the ball away or create negative plays but to prevent offenses from executing explosive plays.

“It’s a hell of a lot harder for an offense to run a 15-play drive for a score than it is for them to hit me over the head for 70 yards on one play,” a Group of Six defensive coordinator told me. “We play sound defense and let the offense do the screwing up.”

If football is a chess game — and I believe it is — the game has turned from one that values fast-forcing moves and aggressive tactics to one that is simply about eliminating blunders, building a formidable defense and waiting for your opponent to blunder. And if you play with too much tempo — don’t castle your king to safety to press your advantage — that can hurt you in the endgame.

This is precisely why Lincoln Riley hired College Football Hall of Fame coach Gary Patterson to coordinate his defense at USC. Riley has famously had a difficult time partnering with a defensive play-caller who can keep up with his explosive offense.

(Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

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When the defense plays as many snaps as it can when Riley’s offense is its partner, that’s more chances to get beat, more chances for mistakes to happen, more chances for the opposing team to find its way back into a game Riley’s teams should be able to put away late in the second half.

This has made the game about psychology as much as physicality and preparedness.

“Quarterbacks and OCs are people, too,” the same defensive coordinator told me. “They want to throw the ball downfield. They don’t like checking down. They don’t like field goals, and they hate punting. Most immature quarterbacks throw into coverage because they’re frustrated. We want to frustrate quarterbacks.”

But quarterbacks are older and have played more football than their predecessors, and that’s only going to become an even more pronounced signifier of just how difficult it is to win in the modern game. Thanks to the NCAA’s new eligibility rule, players have five years to play five years. That means a college football player could make 60 regular season starts and as many as 80 career starts before leaving the sport.

Some of those players return this season. Texas offensive lineman Cole Hutson is taking advantage of the fifth-year rule and could end this season with 60 games played if he plays in all 12 of Texas’ regular season games. 

Colorado coach Deion Sanders lamented the age eligibility rule as it makes it harder for him to field and recruit a team.

“It affects your recruiting,” he said.

Doesn’t everything, Prime?

(Photo by RJ Sangosti/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post via Getty Images)

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There has never been a more skilled and experienced labor force in college football than there is now, and because these players are experienced, they take on new concepts and complicated systems better. 

Multiple tight ends in a formation on one play. A fullback in formation on another. Four wide receivers in a bunch formation in another.

This is the kind of sequence offenses can use to force defenses to show themselves, their coverages, that might not have been available to most teams because offensive players just didn’t have time to learn as much as they do now. Programs with returning play-callers and head coaches are just reinforcing their systems each year but adding to them to make themselves more difficult to stop.

The inverse is also true. Defenses are more complex, better drilled and prepared for the challenges offenses will present. 

In this way, offenses and defenses are sharpening each other — growing older and more experienced together — and are able to play at a level heretofore unseen in the sport. That means it’s never been harder to win a college football game. That also means it’s never been a better time to be a college football fan.

Big Noon Conversations: QB Roundtable with Robert Griffin III & Brady Quinn

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Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza’s 2025 season could not have been more perfect. 

He led his Hoosiers to an unblemished 16-0 season, captured the national championship in historic fashion and won the 2025 Heisman before being selected first in the 2026 NFL Draft by the Raiders.

Now that the path is clear for someone new to leave NYC in December holding the Heisman, who will it be?

With college football season right around the corner, check out the preseason Heisman odds at DraftKings Sportsbook as of Aug. 19. 

This page may contain affiliate links to legal sports betting partners. If you sign up or place a wager, FOX Sports may be compensated. Read more about Sports Betting on FOX Sports.

2026 Heisman Trophy Winner Odds

CJ Carr: +700 (bet $10 to win $80 total)
Arch Manning: +750 (bet $10 to win $85 total)
Dante Moore: +1100 (bet $10 to win $120 total)
Darian Mensah: +1150 (bet $10 to win $125 total)
Julian Sayin: +1200 (bet $10 to win $130 total)
Trinidad Chambliss: +1300 (bet $10 to win $140 total)
Josh Hoover: +1300 (bet $10 to win $140 total)
Jeremiah Smith: +1400 (bet $10 to win $150 total)
Gunner Stockton: +1900 (bet $10 to win $200 total)
Sam Leavitt: +2000 (bet $10 to win $210 total)
John Mateer: +2500 (bet $10 to win $260 total)
Jayden Maiava: +2500 (bet $10 to win $260 total)
Marcel Reed: +2700 (bet $10 to win $280 total)

Here’s what to know about the 2026 Heisman oddsboard:

The Favorites: Carr is the slight favorite over Manning to win the Heisman Trophy in 2026. As a freshman, Carr completed 66.6% of his passes for 2,741 yards, 24 touchdowns and just six interceptions. And the latter is no stranger to Heisman talk. Manning opened as the favorite for the 2025 Heisman at several books and right before the season kicked off, bettors were hammering Manning’s futures. The excitement over Manning was short-lived once his Longhorns went 3-2 to begin the season behind his struggles. However, the Texas quarterback picked up major momentum at the end of last season and will look to carry that over into 2026. Despite struggling early in the year, Manning was seventh in the country in touchdown passes (12) and 10th in the country in passing yards (1,493) from Week 9 on. He also led the SEC in both categories in that same span while taking down undefeated Texas A&M in Texas’ final regular season game. If he is at least named a finalist, he would follow in the footsteps of his uncles and his grandfather, as both Peyton and Eli Manning, and their dad Archie, were Heisman finalists during their college careers. 

Arch Manning is +750 to win the 2026 Heisman Trophy.

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Ones To Watch: Ohio State teammates Jeremiah Smith and Julian Sayin are two players to watch for next season’s Heisman — especially because they were both in the conversation to win the award most of 2025. Sayin, in fact, was a Heisman finalist and finished fourth in the race with eight first-place votes. Smith didn’t make the trip to New York but finished sixth in the tally. Sayin threw for 3,610 yards (10th) and 32 touchdowns (4th) with an 88.4 QBR that ranked third in the country last season. Coming off one of the best true freshman seasons by a wide receiver in college football history, Smith caught 87 passes (7th) for 1,243 yards (4th) and 12 TDs (T-6th) in 2025. In two collegiate seasons, he has led his team to a National Championship and won multiple national and Big Ten awards. The one thing missing? A Heisman Trophy. Could he finally capture it in his presumed final college season?

Heisman In Troy?: Could Maiava bring the hardware back to SC from NYC? Based on the early odds, he could have at least a slight chance. If the Trojans’ QB wins the most coveted individual award in college football, he’d be the first USC player since Caleb Williams (2022) to do so. Maiava finished the 2025 season with 3,711 passing yards and 24 touchdowns, as his squad ended the year with a 9-4 record. 

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The Mets placed DH and first baseman Jorge Polanco on the 10-day IL with left ankle bursitis on Wednesday, but his stay will be longer than that: according to interim manager Andy Green, Polanco will undergo season-ending ankle surgery soon.

Green, speaking to the Associated Press before the Mets and Padres play in their series finale on Wednesday, explained that, “It’s gotten to the point where he just can’t get freedom from the pain. He has gone out there and grinded. He’s wanted to post for his team. And it’s at a point now where surgery is actually his best option and that’s the direction we’re headed with this to kind of alleviate this.”

Polanco’s first season with the Mets has been as disastrous as its end. Polanco signed a two-year, $40 million deal as a free agent this past offseason, after seemingly rebounding from a down 2024 with a strong follow-up campaign with the Mariners, in which he hit .265/.326/.495 with 26 home runs, the second-most he has hit in a season. And all of that despite Seattle’s T-Mobile Park being a tough place for right-handed power hitters like Polanco.

He would play in just 14 games for New York before landing on the IL with a wrist contusion that cost him 83 days of the season. Polanco batted all of .179/.246/.286 before the IL stint, and did not return to the lineup until July 7. Polanco’s line only suffered further after his reactivation: from July 7 onward, the 33-year-old veteran batted just .127/.169/.190 with one home run and three extra-base hits total in 23 games and 84 plate appearances.

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Despite the limited playing time, Polanco was rated as worth -1.4 wins above replacement by both Baseball Reference and FanGraphs – a designated hitter who does not hit is not going to perform well in WAR calculations. He was limited to DH for the most part because of bursitis in his Achilles tendon that cropped up in April, and did not fully heal during his extended IL stint for his wrist. While Green explained to the Associated Press that the Achilles is no longer an issue at the time of this most recent IL placement, the ankle itself is still a problem in need of surgical intervention, and that the myriad injuries were messing with his swing mechanics.

“Just my observation from seeing him through the years and watching him hit and watching him produce, I do think it has affected him mechanically. I don’t think he’s one to make excuses, so I’m not sure if he’ll even say that. But I do think it is something that has impacted him. And he’s tried to grind and it’s just not happening.”

Following surgery, Polanco is expected to be ready for spring training in February of 2027. He’s set to be paid the remaining $23 million of his $40 million deal next season. 

Outfielder and DH Christopher Morel, who was called up from Triple-A Syracuse on Monday, is expected to receive the bulk of Polanco’s expected at-bats. Infielder Eric Wagaman was promoted to take Polanco’s roster spot.

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The end of the exciting college football season paved the way for new frontrunners and dark horses for 2026. For FOX Sports’ RJ Young, his way-too-early top 25 and his top 25 among his preseason Ultimate 138 CFB Rankings present teams to watch this season following their 2025 campaigns. 

Both rankings feature a group of newcomers to the rankings and some teams who missed the final cut. Virginia fell off, Florida entered but No. 1 remains the same. Here’s a look at Young’s way-too-early top 25 vs. the top 25 in his 138 preseason rankings.

RJ Young’s Way-Too-Early Top 25 (January 2026)

25.

Arizona head coach Brent Brennan returns senior quarterback Noah Fifita after the program notched its second nine-win season in three years — and its first under Brennan. Now, the Wildcats aim to make a serious run at the Big 12 championship. – RJ Young

24.

(Photo by Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

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Entering his sixth year as USC’s head coach, Lincoln Riley returns starting quarterback Jayden Maiava, but the Trojans will be without Biletnikoff Award winner Makai Lemon, who declared for the NFL Draft, and defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn, who left for Penn State. While a replacement for Lynn has not yet been named, proven defensive play-callers Wink Martindale and Pete Kwiatkowski are among the candidates who could step in to help Riley guide USC to its first College Football Playoff appearance. – RJ Young

23.

The Vols didn’t see their 2025 starting quarterback throw a meaningful pass until August, yet they still went 8-5 and stayed ranked all season. If Josh Heupel can develop redshirt freshman quarterback George MacIntyre or true freshman quarterback Faizon Brandon into a legitimate starter, Tennessee could surprise many in 2026. – RJ Young

22.

Virginia head coach Tony Elliott led the Cavaliers to their best season in more than 30 years in 2025. Adding former Missouri starting quarterback Beau Pribula and former Pitt starting quarterback Eli Holstein gives the Cavs experienced passers who, when healthy, could help Virginia return to the ACC title game, and perhaps even win it. – RJ Young

21.

The Mustangs have shown remarkable consistency, falling just short of an ACC title game appearance in consecutive seasons. Likely entering his final year as SMU’s starting quarterback, Kevin Jennings gives head coach Rhett Lashlee one of college football’s top passers — a valuable asset in a season where proven quarterbacks are in high demand amid heavy transfer portal movement. – RJ Young

20.

(Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

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The Tide will enter their first season without a starting quarterback recruited out of high school by Nick Saban. With Austin Mack and Keelon Russell in the mix, head coach Kalen DeBoer has two talented quarterbacks capable of competing in a preseason derby before a starter is named. – RJ Young

19.

After years as Utah’s defensive coordinator — and being considered the program’s head-coach-in-waiting — Morgan Scalley will get his first chance to lead the program. In 2025, Utah’s only two losses came against the teams that advanced to the Big 12 championship game. – RJ Young

18.

After one of the more memorable “will he or won’t he” transfer sagas of the 2026 cycle, Huskies star quarterback Demond Williams Jr. is staying put with coach Jedd Fisch retained — keeping alive Washington’s hopes for its first 10-win season since he took over in 2024. – RJ Young

17.

New Penn State head coach Matt Campbell left a Big 12 program he had built into a budding power to take over one of college football’s most storied programs. Players following Campbell, like former Iowa State players like quarterback Rocco Becht — along with unrealized talent such as former Ohio State running back James Peoples — should make Penn State competitive at the top of the Big Ten from Week 1 onward. – RJ Young

16.

(Photo by Scott W. Grau/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

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Michigan head coach Kyle Whittingham, one of the most underrated coaches in the sport, will enter 2026 leading the winningest program in college football history with a quarterback talented enough to help the Wolverines contend for the Big Ten championship. – RJ Young

15.

Missouri bolstered its roster by adding former Ole Miss quarterback Austin Simmons via the transfer portal. Simmons beat out Rebels quarterback Trinidad Chambliss for the starting job in 2025 — Chambliss eventually took over when Simmons was injured — and at Missouri, he’ll pair with one of the country’s best tailbacks, Ahmad Hardy, to give the Tigers a potent offensive duo. – RJ Young

14.

Oklahoma head coach Brent Venables kept his core intact with the return of starting quarterback John Mateer, receiver Isaiah Sategna and linebacker Kip Lewis for the 2026 season. After navigating one of the nation’s toughest schedules last year, the Sooners will be poised to contend for the SEC title. – RJ Young

13.

LSU head coach Lane Kiffin landed his quarterback of the future in former Arizona State starter Sam Leavitt, giving the Tigers a key piece for the 2026 season. With Blake Baker coordinating the defense, Kiffin’s Tigers should enter the year with every intention of earning a College Football Playoff invitation. – RJ Young

12.

(Photo by David Madison/Getty Images)

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The Fighting Irish are assured a spot in next season’s CFP if they finish ranked among the top-12 teams in the CFP selection committee’s 2026 rankings. The additions of former Ohio State wide receivers Quincy Porter and Mylan Graham should make Notre Dame a more formidable force in the passing game, especially following the loss of running back Jeremiyah Love to the NFL Draft. – RJ Young

11.

In the post–Diego Pavia era, head coach Clark Lea has a chance to show that his program’s success isn’t dependent on one transformational player, but on the culture that propelled Vanderbilt to its first 10-win season. – RJ Young

10.

After narrowly missing the College Football Playoff in 2025 with true freshman Bear Bachmeier at quarterback, the Cougars should feel they are only a few plays away from making their first playoff appearance. – RJ Young

9.

(Photo by CFP/Getty Images)

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The return of Marcel Reed for the 2026 season gives Texas A&M a quarterback talented enough to win the Heisman Trophy. – RJ Young

8.

Kirby Smart’s Georgia team learned its postseason limits with a Sugar Bowl loss to Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss, whose improvisational play proved decisive. The Bulldogs will miss the production of wide receiver Zachariah Branch. – RJ Young

7.

The Hurricanes are coming off their best season in 24 years with an appearance in a hard-fought national title game. If Miami lands a quarterback capable of navigating through the regular season and providing service to dynamic sophomore wide receiver Malachi Toney, “The U” can win its first ACC championship in school history. – RJ Young

6.

(Photo by Dustin Markland/Getty Images)

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With Texas quarterback Arch Manning receiving backfield reinforcements in 2025 All–Big 12 running back Raleek Brown and former NC State running back Hollywood Smothers, the Longhorns will feature one of the fastest backfields in the SEC. – RJ Young

5.

With Trinidad Chambliss leading the offense, the Rebels have a quarterback who has proven he can not only guide the program to the CFP, but also win once there. While Chambliss’ eligibility for 2026 remains a legal question, his ability to perform at an elite level at the sport’s most important position is not. – RJ Young

4.

The addition of Brendan Sorsby gives the Red Raiders one of the most established dual-threat quarterbacks in the sport heading into 2026. After winning its first Big 12 title and making its first CFP appearance, Texas Tech has become a trendy pick to emerge as a regular in the postseason tournament. – RJ Young

3.

(Photo by Joe Robbins/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

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The Ducks fell one win short of playing for the national championship, but Oregon returns starting quarterback Dante Moore, along with one of the nation’s most talented receiving corps — led by Dakorien Moore and Evan Stewart — as the program continues inching closer to its first national title.  – RJ Young

2.

The Buckeyes lost more than three dozen players to the NFL Draft or transfer portal, but Ryan Day’s program returns starting quarterback Julian Sayin and wide receiver Jeremiah Smith. While Day lost offensive coordinator and receivers coach Brian Hartline, now the South Florida coach, he retains defensive coordinator Matt Patricia, who led the nation’s top scoring defense in 2025. – RJ Young

1.

(Photo by CFP/Getty Images)

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There’s no more Fernando Mendoza. No more Heisman winner. The dream of the 2025 season for Indiana is complete and now in the rearview mirror. Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti’s next task is to field a team that wins at least 11 games and earns a College Football Playoff invitation for a third consecutive season. – RJ Young

RJ Young’s 138 Top 25 (August 2026)

25.

Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel has built a program capable of staying competitive and successful in the tumultuous NIL era. But this season, he has a career backup in George MacIntyre competing with five-star phenom Faizon Brandon for the starting quarterback job. Getting this decision right could be the difference between a College Football Playoff berth and a second straight loss to — gasp — Vanderbilt.

The Vols have a tough schedule, but they also get Alabama, Texas and LSU at home this season. 

Keep an eye on running back DeSean Bishop, who I think could be another Dylan Sampson. Bishop rushed for 1,076 yards and 16 touchdowns on 182 carries last season and should be a valuable weapon for whoever wins the starting quarterback job in 2026. – RJ Young

24.

(Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images)

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Utah was preparing to make Morgan Scalley their head coach in everything but name by 2026 anyway. Kyle Whittingham’s move to Michigan simply forced the timeline up. The team’s defense will once again be fierce. What remains to be seen is how good quarterback Devon Dampier can be without offensive coordinator Jason Beck calling plays and Kevin McGiven helping direct the offense. 

Dampier has totaled 33 rushing touchdowns in 33 career games. With Dampier returning and 900-plus-yard tailback Wayshawn Parker next to him, I don’t see why Scalley’s Utah squad can’t challenge for the Big 12 title again in 2026. 

Scalley is just the fourth head coach at Utah since 1990 and the second-straight hire made from the previous year’s coaching staff. And that’s for good reason: It ain’t broke, so they don’t fix it. – RJ Young

23.

SMU quarterback Kevin Jennings has his issues, but he’s good enough for the Mustangs to remain in this top 25 all season. Jennings led the ACC in interceptions last season (13) but also put together another season of at least 3,200 passing yards and 23 passing touchdowns. 

However, losing 90% of the pass rush from what was a bad defense in 2025 is coach Rhett Lashlee’s real problem to solve in 2026.

The Mustangs have gone 22-2 over the last three years in the ACC, and now, they’ve added former five-star wide receiver Jordyn Adams, who is 26 years old and a former first-round MLB Draft pick. – RJ Young

22.

Quarterback Jaden Craig came to Fort Worth after putting together a 19-5 record as a starter and setting school records for total offense (6,074 yards) and touchdowns (52). The only issue is Craig set those marks at Harvard in the Ivy League. Proving to be as productive in a Power Four league, in the Big 12, will be the toughest challenge he’s faced as a player.

But coach Sonny Dykes has won 36 games over four years, made the Big 12 title game and reached the CFP national title game during that timeframe. I’m willing to bet he figures the 2026 Horned Frogs out. Who knows? Maybe they’ll obliterate Bill Belichick’s Tar Heels again just to make the point clear: Being Texas Christian doesn’t make it sweet. And reading their Bible don’t make it soft — it’s from the stockyards in Texas. Those men came to win.

I know that’s true because the Horned Frogs have posted back-to-back nine-win seasons and feel that both were letdowns. – RJ Young

21.

In 2025, I compared Washington quarterback Demond Williams Jr. to Kyler Murray, and he still looks every bit the dynamo. If the Huskies can develop a wide receiver as productive as Denzel Boston was one year ago, they can win double-digit games in the toughest league in the country. This also is Year 3 of the Jedd Fisch experience in Seattle, and, if his Arizona tenure taught us anything, it’s that this is the year his teams tend to break through.

Linebacker Jacob Manu is the best player on the Huskies’ defense. He has notched 241 tackles in 37 games, which ranks first among Big Ten defenders returning this season. – RJ Young

20.

(Photo by Parker S. Freedman/Getty Images)]

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Florida coach Jon Sumrall might have pulled off his best recruiting win by convincing prized running back Jadan Baugh to stay another year. Having a tailback who accounted for 1,380 yards from scrimmage and 10 touchdowns on a 3-9 team is impressive enough. 

Sumrall has reached a conference championship game in every season of his head-coaching career. I’m betting on Sumrall’s record as a head coach and Baugh’s ability to carry the offense here. But I’m also betting on former Georgia Tech offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner — who has the most SEC name of any coach in the country — and his ability to make his offense work with transfer quarterback Aaron Philo and budding wideouts Dallas Wilson, Eric Singleton and Vernell Brown III. – RJ Young

19.

Forget Willie Fritz’s 14-11 record through his first two years in Houston. You live long enough and you cover this sport long enough, and you’ll come to realize Fritz is one of the 10 best living coaches in college football. His résumé includes two junior college national titles, two FCS national title game appearances, leading Georgia Southern to a 9-3 record in its first-ever season of FBS play, two American Conference Coach of the Year awards and all the piss-and-vinegar that comes from playing football in “The Jungle” at Pittsburg State. (If you know, you know.)

If Houston offensive coordinator Slade Nagle — football name! — and former five-star quarterback Conner Weigman can take the leap, look for the Cougars to be a force in Fritz’s Year 3 in H-town. He’s also got one of the nation’s most prolific tailbacks in his backfield in Makhi Hughes. Despite redshirting last season at Oregon, Hughes is the second-leading returning career rusher in the sport with 2,849 yards in 32 games. – RJ Young

18.

Eli Drinkwitz’s team returns the best tailback in the sport in Ahmad Hardy and one of the nation’s most intriguing transfer quarterbacks in former Ole Miss signal-caller Austin Simmons. Simmons beat out Trinidad Chambliss during the 2025 camp competition before an early season injury made way for Chambliss to take over. That alone is enough reason to believe Simmons could emerge as one of the nation’s top signal-callers in 2026.

Add in Hardy’s 1,649 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns from last season, and the Tigers have the makings of one of the SEC’s most dangerous offenses. The one concern is Hardy’s availability. He sustained a gunshot wound that could delay the start of his season, leaving Jamal Roberts to shoulder much of the workload early. – RJ Young

17.

(Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images)

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Matt Campbell brought the best of Iowa State with him to Happy Valley, building his reputation on doing more with less while turning the Cyclones into a Big 12 contender. At Penn State, he’ll get his first opportunity to do more with more. The result should be a drastic turnaround from the Nittany Lions’ disastrous 2025 season. Campbell also has the luxury of avoiding Ohio State, Indiana and Oregon in his first season.

Iowa State transfer quarterback Rocco Becht is the second-leading returning passer in the sport with 9,274 yards in 42 career games, and that experience should help ease Penn State’s transition into Matt Campbell’s first season with the Nittany Lions. – RJ Young

16.

I didn’t expect quarterback Bear Bachmeier to have a breakout season as a true freshman, nor did I expect BYU to lose to just one team — twice — in 2025. But after a 12-2 season and some recent turbulence for reigning Big 12 reigning champion Texas Tech, Kalani Sitake’s Cougars are now a solid bet to win the Big 12 title and earn a trip to the College Football Playoff.

The Cougars face Utah and TCU on the road and host Notre Dame this season. If those games are close in the fourth quarter, BYU should like its chances. The Cougars trailed by double digits in seven games last year and came back to win five of them. I expect this team will know how to finish, too.

The Big 12 conference featured just two 3,000-yard passers last year, and Bachmeier was one of them. – RJ Young

15.

Kyle Whittingham has everything he needs to reach the CFP for the first time in his career at a program that has made it three times in the last five years and won a national title just two years ago. If offensive coordinator Jason Beck can develop quarterback Bryce Underwood into the player his talent suggests, Michigan should remain one of the Big Ten’s elite teams. 

That’s the good news. Now the bad. 

First, the man who brought the former Utah coach to Ann Arbor, Warde Manuel, is (in)voluntarily stepping down on December 31, leaving behind a scandalous tenure. Looking to the field, Whittingham has already messed up the messaging of just how much the Wolverines’ rivalry with Ohio State means and should mean for its head coach and team. 

And then, Michigan’s schedule does it no favors. Not only do the Wolverines face a top-15 Oklahoma team in Week 2, but they also take on five Big Ten teams ranked inside the top 25 — including Indiana, Oregon and Ohio State. – RJ Young

14.

Well, quarterback Brendan Sorsby certainly complicated the math on Texas Tech. Following his admission that he gambled on his own team while at Indiana, the legal wrangling that followed and his decision to forgo a fight for eligibility in 2026, the Red Raiders have been forced to move on. Backup Will Hammond is not expected to be ready for Week 1.

That means Texas Tech could open its Big 12 title defense with its third-choice quarterback — perhaps former Tulsa signal-caller Kirk Francis.

The good news for whoever starts under center is that the supporting cast remains loaded. Cam Dickey and Quinten Joyner give the Red Raiders one of the better backfields in the conference, while the defense should be as devastating this season as it was last season. Linebacker Ben Roberts is like a real Bobby Boucher tackling machine, recording 280 tackles in 40 career games, the most among returning FBS linebackers. – RJ Young

13.

Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer will start a third different quarterback in as many years, with either Keelon Russell or Austin Mack under center. Whoever wins the job will have to build a quick rapport with wide receiver Ryan Coleman-Williams, who has the tools to be the best wide receiver in the SEC with enough accurate service. And that connection will have to come fast.

The Tide are also trying to avoid losing in Knoxville for a third straight time, while the Vols try to achieve that first since 2000.  

It’s easy to forget that Alabama was the home team in the SEC championship game against Georgia, and that the Tide became the first program to win a CFP game on the road. DeBoer’s job in 2026 is to create a memorable season rather than just a few memorable moments. – RJ Young

12.

(Photo by Nick Tre. Smith/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

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Following Lane Kiffin’s departure, Ole Miss head coach Pete Golding answered questions about just how good he can be with the two biggest wins in school history — beating Tulane and Georgia to make the College Football Playoff semifinals — all while Kiffin raided the Ole Miss roster and staff. Star quarterback Trinidad Chambliss will return for a sixth season after putting together a Heisman-caliber year in 2025. 

Golding will have his first chance to prove he’s a better coach than Kiffin on September 19 when LSU shows up to Vaught-Hemingway Stadium in Oxford, Mississippi. It’s not overselling it to call LSU-Ole Miss the most highly anticipated SEC game of the season. – RJ Young

11.

The Sooners barely had a run game last season but still managed to win 10 games and earn a home CFP game. If quarterback John Mateer improves his accuracy, offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle becomes less predictable in his play-calling and head coach Brent Venables, again, fields one of the stingiest defenses in the sport, Oklahoma has a real path to the playoff.

The Sooners also have a chance to make a statement early on, traveling to Ann Arbor on September 12 to face Michigan for a second straight year. And that’s just the start: Oklahoma plays Georgia, Missouri, Texas and Florida away from home. – RJ Young

10.

Yes, head coach Lincoln Riley is great. Yes, QB Jayden Maiava is good. But Gary Patterson is one of the best defensive play-callers the sport has ever seen, and he’s running the defense at USC in 2026. That alone is enough for me to believe the Trojans can make a real run at a CFP appearance.

The more I think about this team, the more I believe the Trojans have the best offensive strategist (Riley) and defensive coordinator (Patterson) of any team in the country. That includes Indiana and Ohio State.

In order to achieve the lofty expectations I’ve set for the Trojans, they’ll have to go through Ohio State, Oregon and Indiana — or, in other words, two of the last three national champions and two of the last three Big Ten champs. Sheesh.

Fight On, or get moved on. – RJ Young

9.

Texas A&M head coach Mike Elko seems to believe most coaches in his position are one bad season away from getting fired if they don’t reach the CFP. Well, with the Aggies, he might actually have a point. The good news is that the Aggies did just that in 2025 (losing to Miami), but they also crashed out against rival Texas with a chance to make the SEC title game.

Eleven wins doesn’t mean much in College Station without one coming at the expense of the Longhorns.

That reality has to change for Elko to feel secure at the end of the season. Offensive coordinator Holmon Wiggins and quarterback Marcel Reed must take a major leap if Texas A&M is going to chase its first conference title of any kind since 1998. Reed is one of just two returning SEC quarterbacks to throw for 3,000 yards and rush for at least 550. The other is Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss.

Ampersand U better come ready. It faces LSU, Alabama and Oklahoma — all on the road. – RJ Young

8.

(Photo by Gus Stark/LSU/University Images via Getty Images)

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Hoo boy! If I told you 2026 LSU looks like 2025 Texas Tech with a little seasoning, you’d probably understand what I mean: The Bayou Bengals have decided money ain’t no problem.

LSU made Lane Kiffin one of the highest-paid coaches in the sport and the highest-paid ever without a championship on his résumé. They also gave him the resources to bring in former Arizona State quarterback Sam Leavitt, Colorado offensive tackle Jordan Seaton and Ole Miss defensive end Princewill Umanmielen. 

For a program that hasn’t won a national title since 2019, LSU fully looks built to change that. – RJ Young

7.

Quarterback Darian Mensah broke his contract with Duke to join the Hurricanes after leading the ACC in passing yards (3,973) and passing touchdowns (34). And he did all that while guiding the Blue Devils to a wildly improbable ACC championship on the strength of a 7-5 regular season and the most preposterous tiebreaker protocol in college football history.

Now, he must follow Cam Ward’s No. 1 overall selection after a 2024 season in Coral Gables and Carson Beck’s run to the national title game in 2025. Along with Mensah, running back Mark Fletcher and wideout Malachi Toney could give the Canes the best quarterback-running back-wide receiver trio not just in the ACC, but in the entire country. – RJ Young

6.

Notre Dame’s schedule isn’t a joke this year, but that’s only because the punchline in 2024 was Northern Illinois walking out of South Bend with a victory and depositing $1.4 million for the effort.

Coach Marcus Freeman’s Fighting Irish won’t face anything resembling a ranked opponent until October 17 against BYU, and they shouldn’t lose before then — if they lose at all. Miami is the toughest team on the schedule, and I don’t rate the Hurricanes higher than Notre Dame. But don’t let that stop you from believing Notre Dame will lose and then refuse to play in the postseason. – RJ Young

5.

Last season was coach Steve Sarkisian’s first at Texas without a 1,000-yard rusher. So he traded his running backs out. Former Arizona State running back Raleek Brown and former NC State running back Hollywood Smothers enter the fold, as well as former Auburn receiver Cam Coleman. They should help the most bankable player in the sport, Arch Manning, propel the Longhorns to what they hope will be their first national title appearance since 2009.

Just last year, Texas began the regular season ranked No. 1 and lost it after falling to Ohio State in Week 1. The Longhorns later lost to a 4-8 Florida team, which essentially ruined their chances of making the College Football Playoff.

Texas will get its shot at revenge against Ohio State, September 12 in Austin. It certainly will help that the Longhorns return edge rusher Colin Simmons, who has more career sacks (21) than any other player in the FBS. – RJ Young

4.

(Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

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The Ducks are dealing with new offensive and defensive coordinators in the same season for the first time since Dan Lanning took over as head coach, as they promoted Drew Mehringer and Chris Hampton from within. Still, Lanning returns quarterback Dante Moore, dynamite wideout Dakorien Moore — who long-jumped 24 feet, 6.5 inches (7.48 meters) at track and field’s Oregon Team Invitational just for giggles — and wide receiver Evan Stewart, who is back from injury.

Provided Oregon runs the ball and plays defense the way it did a year ago — and it should — there’s no reason the Ducks can’t win the first national championship in program history. The schedule, however, is anything but a cakewalk. Oregon must travel to USC, Ohio State and Michigan while also navigating games against a rising Boise State, a refreshed Oklahoma State and a retooled UCLA.

Returning cornerback Brandon Finney Jr. and transfer safety Koi Perich should form the backbone of one of the nation’s best secondaries. The Big Ten is Oregon’s for the taking if the Ducks’ new coordinators can coach like the last two. – RJ Young

3.

The SEC still belongs to Georgia. The Bulldogs have lost just once at home since 2019, but they still haven’t won a CFP game after earning a first-round bye in the 12-team era.

That’s why so much of this season centers on returning quarterback Gunner Stockton. If Georgia fans will be happy with Stockton becoming Stetston Bennett 2.0 — 34 total touchdowns and just five interceptions — then so be it.

Georgia fans can be forgiven if, in the course of shuffling the aisles at Walmart or waiting on an open table at Waffle House, they’ve uttered aloud, “Just, what the hell, Kirby?!” to no one in particular. This is because they’ve seen their program win back-to-back SEC titles while also watching their former starting quarterback lead Miami to the national championship game and Indiana winning the whole thing. The expectation is to become the first program since Florida’s 1993-96 run to win three straight conference championships — and then bring another national title back to Athens.

The defense should help. Safety KJ Bolden and cornerback Ellis Robinson IV look like future All-Americans. The question is whether enough pieces emerge around them in the secondary to give the Bulldogs another national championship-caliber defense. – RJ Young

2.

(Photo by CFP/Getty Images)

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Look, I’ve said it for two years, and I don’t mind repeating myself for a third: Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith is the best player in college football.

He should’ve had a chance to become the first two-time winner of the Biletnikoff Award for the nation’s best receiver last season, but those voters had other ideas. Regardless, the good news for Ohio State is that replacing NFL talent becomes a lot easier when the sport’s most dominant player is lining up on your side.

And if Buckeyes fans really are Viltrumite refugees temporarily stranded on Earth like in Robert Kirkman’s “Invicible,” then 2026 is the year they reclaim the throne. A win over Michigan. A Big Ten championship. A national championship. Ohio State hasn’t completed that triple crown since 2014, but the pieces are in place to make it happen.

That doesn’t mean the road will be easy. The Buckeyes must replace 11 NFL Draft picks, including three first-round selections, while also breaking in a new offensive coordinator. Arthur Smith — who came from the Pittsburgh Steelers to be Ohio State’s newest offensive coordinator — has a track record of designing physical, effective rushing attacks in the NFL, and should be a welcome addition to a ground game that struggled against Power Four competition at times last season. – RJ Young

1.

Lost in the shuffle of quarterbacks — a third new starter in as many years — and the rather exhausting list of talent and veteran leadership that departed Bloomington are a few important facts. 

1. Curt Cignetti is still the head coach. 
2. The best record in the sport over the last two seasons (27-2) belongs to Indiana. 
3. The Hoosiers are the reigning national champions and the first team since 1894 to finish 16-0.

In the college football universe, Indiana has become the Arrakian prophecy from “Dune” personified. As Paul Atreides once said, “I’m pointing the way.” He could have been talking about Cignetti.

TCU transfer quarterback Josh Hoover is a big reason why Indiana remains as formidable in 2026 as it was during last year’s title run. The nation’s leading returning passer has thrown for 9,629 yards in just 36 career games. With Charlie Becker and Nick Marsh catching passes, the Hoosiers have the firepower to make another run at the top of the sport. – RJ Young

MORE CFB

Robert Griffin III explains if he would have stayed at Baylor in today’s CFB landscape Joel Klatt Show

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The Seattle Seahawks are making another move at cornerback just a few weeks before the start of the regular season. 

Free-agent cornerback Trevon Diggs and the Seahawks have agreed to a one-year contract, ESPN reported Wednesday. The veteran joins the defending champions after reportedly completing a workout with the Seahawks on Tuesday.

Diggs’ deal comes less than a week after the Seahawks agreed to terms on a contract with cornerback Terrion Arnold, but they still haven’t officially signed him. Arnold, who was released by the Detroit Lions earlier this summer after he received eight felony charges, will reportedly be placed on the commissioner’s exempt list, should the signing be finalized.

As for Diggs, the 27-year-old is looking to revive his career with the defending Super Bowl champs. He was waived by the Dallas Cowboys late last season and was claimed by the Green Bay Packers. However, he appeared in two games and logged 34 snaps before Green Bay released him in January. Diggs, 27, spent most of his career with the Dallas Cowboys, where he earned two Pro Bowl selections. 

The Green Bay Packers claimed Diggs off waivers last December. He appeared in two games and logged 34 snaps before Green Bay released him in January.

Diggs’ most productive season came in 2021 when he led the NFL with 11 interceptions and was named a first-team All-Pro in 2021. (Photo by George Walker/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

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Prior to the 2025 season, Diggs had been viewed as one of the top cornerbacks in football. The two-time Pro Bowler led the league in interceptions in 2021, recording 11 to earn a first-team All-Pro spot. 

But health issues have hampered his availability over the last three seasons. He sustained a torn ACL in September 2023, underwent a follow-up knee surgery in December 2024, and was limited to eight games in 2025 due to a knee injury and a concussion. 

Diggs has registered 20 interceptions and 63 passes defensed over 67 career games.

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Houston Texans wide receiver Jayden Higgins will miss the entire 2026 NFL season after reportedly suffering a torn ACL, according to NFL Network. 

The injury occurred Tuesday during a joint practice session between the Texans and the Las Vegas Raiders. 

Higgins reportedly fell while running a route in the end zone during 11-on-11 red zone drills, per ESPN. He remained on the ground before eventually leaving the field under his own power. 

The 23-year-old Higgins entered training camp listed as a starting wide receiver for Houston following his rookie campaign. Selected in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft, he started 10 games last season. He finished the year with 41 receptions, 525 receiving yards and six touchdowns.

Selected in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft, Higgins started 10 games last season. He finished the year with 41 receptions, 525 receiving yards, and six touchdowns.(Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)

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His absence requires the Texans to adjust their depth chart at the wide receiver position. Nico Collins and Xavier Hutchinson will likely become primary available options. Hutchinson, a 2023 draft selection, recorded 35 receptions for 428 yards and three touchdowns last season.

Houston must also rely on receivers working through physical ailments. 

Tank Dell missed the entire 2025 season due to a knee injury sustained in December 2024 and has seen limited practice time during training camp. Second year receiver Jaylin Noel is reportedly dealing with a hamstring issue per CBS, which has restricted his participation in practice.

The Texans will continue training camp as the team nears its third preseason game and the regular season without their second-year receiver. 

Houston opens the season Sept. 13 against the Buffalo Bills.

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Monaco has parted ways with midfielder Paul Pogba after the former France star’s stay was hampered by injuries.

Pogba signed a two-year-deal last year in order to relaunch a career derailed by injuries and a doping ban. But injury problems persisted and the 2018 World Cup winner made only a handful of substitute appearances last season.

“Acknowledging that the objectives initially set have only been partially met, Monaco and Paul Pogba have decided, prior to the first match of the new season, to terminate the contract that bound them until June 2027,” eight-time French champion Monaco said in a statement.

Pogba struggled for fitness in preseason and recently picked up another injury.

“Monaco is an exceptional club,” the 33-year-old Pogba said. “Even though I didn’t play as many matches as I had hoped, I will always be grateful for the opportunity.”

Monaco finished seventh in Ligue 1 last season.

At his peak, Pogba scored in the 2018 World Cup final when France beat Croatia 4-2. He played 91 games for France, scoring 11 times.

Two years earlier, he became the then-most expensive soccer player in history when he returned to Manchester United from Juventus for a fee of 105 million euros ($116 million).

The biggest blow to his career came in February 2024 when he was initially banned for four years by Italy’s anti-doping court after he tested positive for testosterone while at Juventus. In October 2024, the Court of Arbitration for Sport reduced his ban to 18 months. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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José Mourinho is confident Real Madrid will be fine without Rodri despite admitting the club made “a very good offer” to try to sign the Spain captain.

Rodri officially signed with Madrid rival Barcelona after a transfer from Manchester City on Tuesday.

Mourinho, back with Madrid for a second stint, said he spoke twice with Rodri as Madrid considered adding the World Cup’s best player to its squad, but felt the midfielder didn’t seem certain about his future.

“The club contacted him but he had some doubts,” Mourinho said in an interview to TV show “El Chiringuito” late Tuesday. “What I think happened is that his doubts have created doubts for me. He’s an extraordinary player and was very correct with us. But I think Real Madrid is of such a stature that it can’t have players who think twice about being with the club.”

Just hours before Rodri’s signing was made official by Barcelona on Tuesday, Mourinho was officially presented by Madrid in an unusual ceremony closed to the media and fans.

Mourinho, who was hired in June and took over in July at the start of the preseason, downplayed the importance of Rodri to Madrid.

“I don’t need Rodri. We have solutions, quality players,” Mourinho said, adding that he didn’t think Barcelona got the best of Madrid by signing the midfielder. “Victories are won on the field, they are won with titles.”

After a second consecutive season without a major title, the club has bought players such as Marc Cucurella, Ibrahima Konate, Denzel Dumfries, Bernardo Silva and Yan Diomande.

Mourinho said the club does not intend to make new signings.

“I’m not saying there won’t be any more signings because the market is still open, but if you ask me directly if it’s closed (for Madrid), yes, it’s closed,” he said.

Madrid opens in La Liga on Saturday at Espanyol.

Reporting by The Associated Press.

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Jamal Musiala’s readiness for Bayern Munich’s start to the season is in question after collapsing in consecutive warmup games because of a neurological issue.

The 23-year-old Germany star went down shortly after entering the field in a friendly against Heidenheim on Tuesday, three days after a similar incident against Leipzig. He received brief treatment on the field before going off on both occasions.

Musiala said in an Instagram post late Tuesday that he has been diagnosed with “brief, temporary, but easily treatable absence seizures caused by a neurological dysfunction” and that they can lead to the moments that occurred against Heidenheim and Leipzig.

But he added there was “no additional health risk” and he wants to keep living his “everyday life and keep up with my passion of playing football.”

Muted Reaction From Bayern

Bayern has not issued any statements or published any updates on the player’s condition. The club has not responded to requests from the Associated Press for comment.

Bayern begins the season on Saturday at Borussia Dortmund in the German Supercup, then starts its Bundesliga title defense against Stuttgart the following weekend.

News agency DPA, citing unnamed Bayern sources, reported on Wednesday that there were no indications that Musiala won’t be able to continue his career as before, but there was no information on whether he can play against Dortmund or Stuttgart.

Comparisons To Eriksen

Facing journalists after the Heidenheim game on Tuesday, Bayern board member for sport Max Eberl initially refused to comment on Musiala’s condition, saying only that the player would issue a statement later.

“We knew and know about it, but Jamal will get in touch,” Eberl said.

“The great thing about football — something I wish we see more of from society or generally — is that when something happens in football that gets everyone’s attention, like (Christian) Eriksen’s collapse … or now the situation with Jamal, everyone understands that football is the most beautiful unimportant thing in the world and that there are far more important matters at stake,” Eberl said. “It’s a good sign. It gives you a good feeling to see society standing together showing that kind of solidarity.”

Hoeneß Shocked

Bayern honorary president and powerbroker Uli Hoeneß told Sky in an interview on Wednesday that Musiala’s collapses created a “drama” at the club, and they were a “problem, first and foremost, of course, for the person Jamal. Really, I go to bed thinking about him and I wake up thinking about him.”

Hoeneß said Bayern did not know how to react.

“We couldn’t prepare for this, and we have to learn first how to deal with this situation,” said Hoeneß, who promised Musiala would get “unconditional support in every respect.”

Musiala Staying Positive

The player said he’s going through a process but he has the best support around him.

“I am receiving excellent medical care for this and am very optimistic,” Musiala said in his social media post. “FC Bayern and my personal circle are always by my side, supporting me throughout this process.”

Musiala missed much of last season with a broken leg sustained at the Club World Cup in July last year, but he returned in January and his increasingly strong performances earned his spot in Germany’s World Cup squad.

Musiala scored three goals and set up five more in 15 Bundesliga appearances last season. He also scored two and set up another in the Champions League. Altogether he has 69 goals in 231 games for Bayern.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Crystal Palace added to its squad for another European campaign by signing United States youth international Zavier Gozo in a club record sale for Real Salt Lake.

The Conference League titleholder signed the 19-year-old winger to a five-year contract late Monday. The transfer fee was reportedly $15 million.

Real Salt Lake said in a statement it will “retain a significant percentage of any future transfer fee for Gozo,” who it said was the first Utah native to join a Premier League club.

Palace starts the Premier League at Everton on Saturday and will play in the second-tier Europa League. UEFA makes the league phase draw in Monaco next week.

Reporting by The Associated Press.

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