The 2026 college football season is dominated by a single on‑field question: can the Big Ten capture a fourth straight national championship? The conference has already eclipsed the SEC’s recent dominance with titles in 2023 (Michigan), 2024 (Ohio State) and 2025 (Indiana). If a Big Ten team wins again, it will be the first four‑peat in the poll era.
Big Ten’s recent rise
Michigan’s 2023 title was only the conference’s second national championship since 2000, but the momentum shifted dramatically when Ohio State added a title in 2024. Indiana’s surprise victory in 2025, coming from a program once known for the most all‑time losses, completed a rapid ascent that now puts the Big Ten squarely in the national spotlight.
Oregon’s growing buzz
While the Big Ten looks to extend its streak, the Oregon Ducks are generating excitement of their own. Led by quarterback Dante Moore and bolstered by a strong returning core and a wave of incoming transfers, the Ducks are being touted as the next team to challenge the conference’s supremacy. Coach Dan Lanning emphasized the program’s high expectations, saying, “Nobody’s going to have higher expectations for our team than us. We’re the guys in the building doing the work every single day.”
Key players and preseason rankings
Ohio State returns Heisman Trophy finalist Julian Sayin at quarterback and wide‑receiver sensation Jeremiah Smith, entering the season ranked No. 1 in the Associated Press Top 25. Oregon sits at No. 2, while defending champion Indiana drops to No. 6 after losing Heisman‑winning quarterback and top NFL draft pick Fernando Mendoza.
The SEC, which has not placed a team in the championship game since Georgia’s 2022 win, still holds five of the top ten spots in the preseason poll. No. 3 Georgia returns quarterback Gunner Stockton and aims for its fourth SEC title in five years. No. 5 Texas, led by Arch Manning, is positioned for a deep run, especially after adding All‑American transfer wide receiver Cam Coleman.
Other contenders
Notre Dame, last national champion in 1988, returns to contention after missing the playoff despite a 10‑game win streak the previous season. Miami, the ACC standard‑bearer, seeks to rebound from a loss to Indiana in the championship game and boasts standout player Malachi Toney.
Heisman favorites this year include Notre Dame’s CJ Carr and Texas’s Arch Manning, according to sportsbooks. Carr’s 24 touchdown passes rank among the best in Notre Dame history, while Manning entered 2025 as the betting favorite before a tough loss to Ohio State and a subsequent defeat by Florida derailed his campaign.
Coaching changes and conference realignment
The offseason saw 34 FBS coaching moves. The most watched is Lane Kiffin’s jump from Mississippi to LSU, a program facing a reported $40 million player payroll and a demanding fan base. In the Big Ten, Kyle Whittingham takes over at Michigan after 23 seasons at Utah, while Matt Campbell assumes the helm at Penn State, bringing a roster of former Big 12 players from Iowa State.
Other notable moves include Jon Sumrall (Tulane to Florida), Bob Chesney (James Madison to UCLA) and Alex Golesh (South Florida to Auburn). The Pac‑12, after losing several members, now includes Oregon State, Washington State, Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, San Diego State, Utah State and Texas State, meeting the Group Six requirement for playoff eligibility.
Looking ahead
With the Big Ten poised to make history and Oregon positioning itself as a potential challenger, the 2026 season promises high stakes for players, coaches, and fans alike. The ongoing debates over athlete compensation, eligibility lawsuits and playoff expansion add off‑field intrigue, but the central narrative remains the quest for a fourth consecutive conference championship and the chance for a new power to rise.
Original reporting: Alexandria, VA News – WTOP News — read the source article.
