RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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See the full story · 1 sourcesAt the beginning of every college football season, the age-old adage of "hope springs eternal" rings true for every fanbase.
Every team is 0-0 and all their goals for the coming year are in front of them.
Many programs, coaches, and fanbases all believe they have a chance to win a national title , and in a mathematical sense they aren't wrong.
I'm here to tell you, however, that it's rarely that wide open and, during any given year, only a handful of teams can actually win the whole thing.
This year, I've identified eight teams who I believe can hoist a national championship trophy.
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Through some combination of returning production, transfer portal talent, and elite coaching, one of these eight teams will more than likely be the last one standing next January.
The Ohio State Buckeyes could probably get penciled into this list every year while Ryan Day is their head coach and their talent acquisition stays at the level it's currently at, but this year in particular feels like a big one in Columbus.
Coach Day has assembled a staff consisting largely of former NFL coaches and coordinators, and the addition of offensive coordinator Arthur Smith feels like a particularly noteworthy one to keep an eye on.
The Buckeyes have been recruiting at a top-five level for the past several cycles, and have supplemented that with a small but elite transfer portal class, including bolstering their defense with the likes of Alabama defensive linemen Qua Russaw and James Smith as well as Florida State safety Earl Little Jr.
On offense, Ohio State returns what may end up being the best quarterback-wide receiver tandem in the country, as Julian Sayin looks to build on a quietly brilliant 2025 while Jeremiah Smith could be argued as the best overall player in college football.
An early test on the road against Texas as well as a rematch of the Big Ten Championship in Bloomington against the Hoosiers will tell us everything we need to know about how real the Buckeyes are in 2026.
Speaking of those Longhorns, Texas will be looking to right the wrongs from a disappointing 2025 heading into this year.
Last season, the Horns were a popular preseason national championship pick, but a less than ideal start had them on the outside looking in by season's end.
Texas will likely be near the top of the preseason polls again this year, but unlike in 2025, they know what they have in signal caller Arch Manning.
Manning's first half of last season was forgettable, but by November, you could argue he blossomed into one of the best quarterbacks in the country.
He has the weapons he needs to be truly elite, with receiver Ryan Wingo returning and wideout Cam Coleman coming over from Auburn , so there won't be any excuses for another sputtering start out of the gate in '26.
Texas' defense will be among the best in the country, and veteran leaders like edge rusher Colin Simmons and linebacker Rasheem Biles (both preseason All-Americans) will bolster a fearsome unit.
There has never been a dearth of talent in Austin, but coach Steve Sarkisian may finally have his most complete team since stepping foot on the 40 Acres, and that alone has people starting to feel like it's 2005 in Central Texas again.
The Miami Hurricanes were a fourth quarter Carson Beck interception away from winning the national championship in January, but the scary thing is they might be even more dangerous in 2026.
Head coach Mario Cristobal has built a machine in Coral Gables, and the Canes have the most talented roster they've had since the early 2000s.
That's not to say they don't have to replace some absolute studs, particularly along the lines of scrimmage, but Cristobal and co. have recruited well enough in the trenches that this may be a matter of reloading rather than rebuilding.
On the offensive side of the ball, Miami has an embarrassment of riches for offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson to tinker with.
The Canes return wide receiver Malachi Toney and running back Mark Fletcher Jr. from their CFP runner-up squad last season, and they added Duke wide receiver Cooper Barkate, who was one of the most coveted pass catchers in the portal from this past offseason.
The real prize, though, was Duke quarterback Darian Mensah.
Miami will be paying Mensah a pretty penny, but he will be worth every cent of his exorbitant paycheck, as the redshirt junior may end up being the most talented signal caller Cristobal has had while in South Florida.
The schedule is forgivable, even by ACC standards, but a rematch on the road against Notre Dame will separate the Canes as contenders or pretenders.
It's crazy that I made it halfway through the list without mentioning the defending national champions, but I think coach Curt Cignetti and crew almost like it that way.
Last year, no one outside of the locker room at Memorial Stadium thought this team had a chance to win the whole thing, but the Hoosiers won't be sneaking up on anyone this year.
Cignetti doesn't have a star-studded roster like Miami, Texas, or Ohio State, but that's never stopped him before (obviously) and the talent in Bloomington is only getting better.
The Hoosiers signed a top-ten portal class, and although it was a relatively small class (17 total players) there were some gems to be found.
Quarterback Josh Hoover comes to Indiana by way of TCU , and will look to be the next big thing in Cignetti and offensive coordinator Mike Shanahan's system.
The last transfer quarterback they took ended up becoming a Heisman winner and number 1 overall NFL Draft pick, so Hoover will hope to continue the tradition.
Former Michigan State wide receiver Nick Marsh will give Hoover an elite target to throw to and will pair nicely with returning wideout Charlie Becker, who had a brilliant 2025 campaign averaging nearly 20 yards per catch.
Indiana likely won't be tested until the midway poi...
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