Predicting the College Football Playoff before the season even begins is almost guaranteed to produce some freezing-cold takes by December.
But that’s part of the fun.
For 2026, we’re projecting an SEC-heavy playoff field, undefeated seasons from Georgia and Miami, Oregon winning the Big Ten and one massive surprise run once the playoff actually begins.
And when it’s all over, we’re predicting a familiar face will be holding the national championship trophy again.
The 12-Team Playoff Field
1. Georgia — 13-0 (9-0), SEC Champion
Georgia runs the table, survives a difficult SEC schedule and beats LSU in Atlanta to finish 13-0. With Kirby Smart’s roster and championship experience, the Bulldogs enter the playoff as the clear No. 1 team in the country.
2. Miami — 13-0 (9-0), ACC Champion
Miami finally puts everything together. The Hurricanes beat Notre Dame during the regular season, go undefeated and finish the job by winning the ACC Championship.
3. Oregon — 12-1 (8-1), Big Ten Champion
Oregon drops one game during the regular season to Ohio State but still reaches the Big Ten Championship, where the Ducks beat the Buckeyes in a rematch.
4. Texas Tech — 12-1 (9-0), Big 12 Runner-Up
Texas Tech goes a perfect 9-0 in Big 12 play before losing to BYU in the conference championship. That loss costs the Red Raiders a conference title, but a 12-1 record is still good enough for a first-round bye.
5. Notre Dame — 11-1
Notre Dame’s only regular-season loss comes against Miami. At 11-1 with its only defeat against our undefeated ACC champion, the Irish should have one of the strongest at-large résumés in the country.
6. LSU — 10-3 (7-2), SEC Runner-Up
LSU loses two difficult road games against Ole Miss and Auburn but does enough to reach Atlanta through tiebreakers. A third loss to undefeated Georgia in the SEC Championship shouldn’t keep the Tigers out after navigating that schedule.
7. Oklahoma — 10-2 (7-2)
The Sooners lose at Georgia and fall to Texas A&M, but they make up for it with a massive win over Texas in the Red River Rivalry. A 10-win season in the SEC easily puts Oklahoma in the playoff conversation.
8. Texas — 10-2 (7-2)
Texas loses to Oklahoma in the Red River Rivalry and drops another difficult road game at LSU. Outside of those two losses, the Longhorns take care of business and earn a home playoff game.
9. Ohio State — 10-3 (8-1), Big Ten Runner-Up
Ohio State’s resume is complicated. The Buckeyes beat Oregon, Michigan, and USC, but lose at Texas and Indiana. They still reach the Big Ten Championship, where Oregon hands them their third loss in a rematch.
10. USC — 10-2 (7-2)
USC finally breaks through into the Playoff. The Trojans lose at home to Ohio State and on the road at Oregon, but those are their only blemishes and they’re enough to get Lincoln Riley back into the playoff.
11. BYU — 11-2 (8-1), Big 12 Champion
BYU loses to Notre Dame and at rival Utah, but neither loss destroys its season. The Cougars get another opportunity against Texas Tech in the Big 12 Championship and pull off the upset to secure an automatic bid.
12. Boise State — 11-2 (8-1), Pac-12 Champion
Boise State’s two losses come in difficult road games at Oregon and Washington State. The Broncos handle the rest of their schedule, win the Pac-12 and grab the final playoff spot.
First Round
The opening round gives us four great matchups:
No. 5 Notre Dame over No. 12 Boise State
No. 6 LSU over No. 11 BYU
No. 7 Oklahoma over No. 10 USC
No. 8 Texas over No. 9 Ohio State
Notre Dame and LSU take care of the two conference champions at the bottom of the bracket, while Oklahoma ends USC’s breakout season. The biggest matchup is Texas-Ohio State, where we’re taking the Longhorns to eliminate the Buckeyes in a rematch in Austin.
Quarterfinals
No. 1 Georgia over No. 8 Texas
No. 2 Miami over No. 7 Oklahoma
No. 3 Oregon over No. 6 LSU
No. 5 Notre Dame over No. 4 Texas Tech
Georgia continues its perfect season by eliminating Texas, while Miami proves it belongs by beating Oklahoma. Oregon ends LSU’s run, and Notre Dame becomes the lone team without a first-round bye to reach the semifinals by upsetting Texas Tech.
Semifinals
No. 1 Georgia over No. 5 Notre Dame
No. 3 Oregon over No. 2 Miami
Notre Dame’s run finally ends against Georgia, while Oregon hands Miami its first loss of the season.
That leaves us with the national championship matchup we’ve been building toward.
National Championship: Georgia vs. Oregon
Winner: Georgia
Kirby Smart against Dan Lanning for a national championship.
Lanning has transformed Oregon into one of college football’s elite programs, but beating his former boss remains the final hurdle.
We’re predicting Kirby gets him again.
Georgia beats Oregon, completes a perfect season and walks away as the 2026 national champion.
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