Analyst Puts 7 Teams in S Tier for 2026 College Football Title Race

3 articles · Updated · CBS Sports · Aug 18

Seven teams — Ohio State, Oregon, Georgia, Notre Dame, Texas, Indiana and Miami — were grouped in the top preseason tier as legitimate 2026 national title favorites rather than being separated by AP-style ranking gaps.
All seven return a starting quarterback with at least one full season as a starter, carry rosters loaded with likely early NFL draft picks and are spending more than $30 million to contend.
Three SEC teams — Ole Miss, Oklahoma and LSU — landed in the next tier as contenders that could win if things break right, with LSU described as having the sport's most expensive roster.
Six more teams, including Texas A&M, Alabama and USC, were treated as the cutoff for title viability because of major questions such as offensive lines, quarterback uncertainty, defense or brutal schedules.
The lower tiers shift from teams that could win a playoff game to programs that might only reach the 12-team field, with Iowa and Missouri labeled surprises even to make it.