College football roundtable: Who will win the national title?

Week 1 is just days away, and our writers are here to make their predictions about the teams, players and coaches who will stand out this season. Yes, they'll be picking national title and Heisman winners, but they'll also give their picks for game of the year (not everybody chose LSU-Ole Miss) and sleeper teams outside of the current AP Top 25. Here's the 2026 college football preseason roundtable. Who is your pick to win the national title? Andrea Adelson: Notre Dame. This team has veterans across the board and is motivated after the CFP snub last year. Kyle Bonagura: Ohio State. The Buckeyes have a brutal schedule, but I think they'll silence the annual Texas offseason hype Sept. 12 and never look back. Bill Connelly: Notre Dame. They have the perfect combination of talent, opportunity (read: navigable schedule) and a boulder-sized chip on their proverbial shoulder. Heather Dinich: Texas. Nobody in the country has a more complete team in terms of roster and staff, and when your quarterback isn't the best player on the team -- and he's still a Heisman contender -- you should be playing for it all. David Hale: Notre Dame. CJ Carr flashed signs of greatness last year. This is the season he puts it all together and becomes one of the best players in the sport. The Irish also have perhaps their best receiving corps of the Marcus Freeman era, a defense capable of going toe-to-toe with anyone and a big, bruising O-line. Yes, they need to replace a pair of elite running backs, but if there's one thing I'm not worried about, it's Notre Dame finding good runners. Eli Lederman: Notre Dame. Quarterback CJ Carr makes another jump, elite line play powers the Irish through a (relatively) manageable schedule and All-American cornerback Leonard Moore -- perhaps the most dominant defender in college football -- is the difference in at least one CFP game, vaulting Notre Dame to its first title in 38 years. Max Olson: Ohio State. This Buckeyes are loaded on offense, should have breakout stars on defense and will ultimately benefit in the CFP from facing so many tough tests in the regular season. Adam Rittenberg: Notre Dame. Carr is the type of quarterback Notre Dame hasn't had during its nearly four-decade drought without a national title, and he will propel the Irish to a championship along with two elite lines. Mark Schlabach: Ohio State. I agree that Texas is the most talented team in the country, but I've got to see the Longhorns do it, so I'm going with the Buckeyes despite their difficult schedule. Jake Trotter: Texas. Transfer wideout Cam Coleman will help quarterback Arch Manning play at a championship level and the Longhorns will claim their first title since 2005. Paolo Uggetti: Oregon. Dan Lanning & Co. will create more chances for the Ducks to win it all in the coming seasons, but this year -- and this particular team -- feels like a great opportunity. Dave Wilson: Oregon. Dante Moore's return will power a dynamic offense, and a strong defensive front will hold up for the long-awaited breakthrough. Who is your sleeper team outside the AP Top 25? Adelson: Pitt. The coaching staff has raved about the development of returning QB Mason Heintschel, and the Panthers' schedule is among the most manageable in the ACC. Bonagura: North Dakota State. After winning 10 of the past 16 FCS national titles, the Bison are the most interesting team to ever jump to FBS. Connelly: Cal. The Golden Bears haven't finished ranked in 20 years and still have clear shortcomings, but Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele should have more reliable pass catchers, and Tosh Lupoi added a bunch of former blue-chippers to the defense. Consider me intrigued. Dinich: South Carolina. The Gamecocks have NFL talent on both sides of the ball, with LaNorris Sellers leading the offense and Dylan Stewart guiding the defense. If they can put it together and finish games, they could have a special season. Hale: Auburn. Alex Golesh showed what he can do in turning around a woeful USF program, and now he's following the Indiana model by bringing a bunch of stars from his last job, including QB Byrum Brown, to the Plains to supplement a defense that was already one of the SEC's best. The Tigers were 0-6 in one-possession games last year (and 1-9 over the past two seasons). A little luck and a better roster could have them in playoff contention. Lederman: Navy. The Midshipmen return more FBS starts than all but four other Group of 6 programs, and with a promising successor to former quarterback Blake Horvath, a Navy program that's gone 21-5 over the past two seasons should be in the CFP mix come November. Olson: Oklahoma State. The Cowboys have an opportunity to pull off one of the biggest year-over-year flips we've ever seen and become an instant Big 12 contender after a 1-11 season with coach Eric Morris and quarterback Drew Mestemaker leading a squad of more than 85 newcomers. Rittenberg: Arizona. Quarterback Noah Fifita has seen and done it all in his record-setting career, and Arizona is confident internally that its defense can take a jump despite some NFL losses. Schlabach: Arizona. The Wildcats made a huge jump under coach Brent Brennan last season, and Fifita is back for a rare fifth season with the same team. Trotter: Oklahoma State. The Pokes haven't won a Big 12 game since 2023, but now they boast a potential future NFL starting quarterback in Mestemaker, headlining a wave of talent that followed Morris from North Texas. Uggetti: Boise State. The Broncos are unranked, but they are, at the moment, the prohibitive favorite to nab the Group of 6 spot in the playoffs during their first year in the new Pac-12. Wilson: Oklahoma State. Eric Morris and his offense bring the fun and spark back to Stillwater. One game you can't wait to see? Adelson: LSU-Ole Miss is the obvious choice here. Nothing beats a soap opera! Bonagura: Indiana-Ohio State. There is a world in which the defending champs will be carrying a 22-game winning streak into a home game against the top-ranked team. Connelly: It's difficult not to pick LSU-Ole Miss, but let's go with a game that'll kick off the night before it that will have nearly as much energy, hostility and fascinating quarterback play: Houston at Texas Tech. Dinich: LSU at Ole Miss. This is college football's version of reality TV, with all of the drama between Lane Kiffin and Pete Golding, plus playoff implications. Hale: Liberty at Delaware. OK, fine. I just didn't want to say LSU-Ole Miss. Lederman: Oregon at USC. There might be juicer games on the calendar, but if the 2026 season is any sort of referendum on Lincoln Riley's Trojans tenure and Oregon's status as a national title contender under Dan Lanning, then this Sept. 26 matchup in Southern California carries seismic ramifications. Olson: Texas at LSU on Nov. 14. There are too many exciting November games to choose from in the SEC, but the Kiffin vs. Sark showdown in Baton Rouge should be a high-scoring affair with big-time CFP implications. Rittenberg: Notre Dame should be and BYU could be undefeated entering their midseason matchup in Provo, a game both teams might need to impress the CFP selection committee. Schlabach: LSU-Ole Miss will have all the storylines, but Ohio State at Texas might have the most CFP national title implications, at least as to determining which team is the early favorite. Trotter: Ohio State at Indiana, in what is sure to be the biggest football game ever played in Bloomington, featuring the past two national champs. Uggetti: Oregon at Ohio State. A rematch of the epic 32-31 win for the Ducks in Eugene two seasons ago that came down to the final play -- this time in Columbus and with likely even more at stake. Wilson: Texas at Texas A&M to close the regular season, in a night game at Kyle Field. Both are preseason top 10, and the past two seasons the Longhorns have won with an SEC title game spot on the line. What first-year coach are you watching? Adelson: Kyle Whittingham. He has never coached at a place that demands to win the way Michigan does. Bonagura: Alonzo Carter. Sacramento State landed a spot in the MAC and turned to a Bay Area coaching legend to usher in this new era. Connelly: Eric Morris. He's the best quarterback evaluator of the 2020s, and he's imported some brilliant offensive performers from Denton to Stillwater for what could be a massive Oklahoma State turnaround year. Dinich: Jon Sumrall. It wouldn't surprise me if he doubled the Gators' win total this year. Hale: Golesh for all the reasons mentioned above. But James Franklin's rebuild of Virginia Tech comes in a close second. Lederman: Eric Morris. The 40-year-old playcaller assembled the nation's highest-scoring attack at North Texas, then brought the core of that offense with him to Oklahoma State, where he should guide the Cowboys to their first Big 12 win since November 2023 and could lead one of college football's biggest turnarounds this fall. Olson: Tosh Lupoi. Cal did a terrific job of surrounding Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele with legit playmakers this offseason, and I think the Bears' schedule creates an opportunity for this team to get hot early and become a real factor in the ACC race. Rittenberg: Matt Campbell. He showed at Iowa State that he can win the big games but will be judged in a much brighter spotlight at Penn State, which is craving a national title. Schlabach: Eric Morris. He shoots armadillos at night and wins on Saturdays, and he might be poised to take the Cowboys, who were 1-11 last season, to a bowl game in 2026. Trotter: Kyle Whittingham. The Wolverines have maybe the widest win variance of any program in the country, an outcome that will hinge heavily on what Whittingham can get out of tantalizing quarterback talent Bryce Underwood. Uggetti: Bob Chesney. The former James Madison head coach has had quite a rise and now has the Bruins feeling confident about where they could be headed. There's a new energy around the program and though it might have some first-year hiccups, with a number of JMU transfer additions, the Bruins could surprise. Wilson: Kyle Whittingham. After a messy ending at Utah, he takes a big step up to a massive stage. Who's your pick to win the Heisman? Adelson: Malachi Toney. The most dynamic player in college football will be lined up everywhere making plays for Miami. Bonagura: Julian Sayin. Ohio State's QB finished fourth last year and the only thing working against him is that his teammate, Jeremiah Smith, will take away votes. Connelly: Jeremiah Smith. It's hard for a receiver to coordinate all the votes, but with so many star QBs potentially canceling themselves out, Smith has an open lane to follow (and all the buzz in the world). Dinich: Jeremiah Smith. He could've won awards in the NFL last year had he been eligible, and it goes to the best player -- not the best quarterback. Hale: CJ Carr. He's finally got some real talent to throw to, and Notre Dame is going to put up a lot of points. Lederman: Julian Sayin. Ohio State's junior QB turned in the third-most accurate season in FBS history as a first-year starter last fall, and he should be even better in 2026 surrounded by Jeremiah Smith, plenty more skill talent and a new offensive coordinator in Arthur Smith. Olson: CJ Carr. The ingredients are all there with his talent, supporting cast, defense and schedule to level up in a major way as a second-year starter and make a serious run at the Heisman. Rittenberg: Trinidad Chambliss. Arguably no quarterback was playing better at the end of last season, and he will continue to shine even without Lane Kiffin in Oxford. Schlabach: Julian Sayin. Jeremiah Smith is the best player in the country, but the Heisman Trophy typically goes to quarterbacks, and Sayin is who makes the Buckeyes offense roll. Trotter: Jeremiah Smith. Shouldn't the Heisman go to the best player? Uggetti: Dante Moore. I think if this is going to be Oregon's year, Moore has to be even better than he was last season. That should be enough to get him to New York. Wilson: Malachi Toney. We love flashy stars on big stages. Who's another player you're watching who might surprise us? Adelson: Miami DB Omar Thornton. Mario Cristobal has done nothing but rave about the way Thornton has come into the Hurricanes secondary and not missed a beat replacing Keionte Scott. Bonagura: Colorado QB Julian Lewis. The spotlight is no longer shining on Colorado, but if the Buffaloes are competitive this year, it'll be because the former five-star recruit blossomed. Connelly: TCU QB Jaden Craig. He's the closest thing to a new Trinidad Chambliss, and he's got experience, obvious physical talent and -- if his Harvard degree is any indication -- brains. Dinich: Maryland quarterback Malik Washington. He's a local player who was recruited to turn things around, and he's good enough to do it. Hale: Louisville QB Lincoln Kienholz. He couldn't win the starting job at Ohio State, but he has real talent and a ton of mobility. Pair him with an offensive genius in Jeff Brohm and there's a ton of upside there. Lederman: Tennessee QB Faizon Brandon. The five-star freshman has long been viewed as the Vols' quarterback of the future, but Brandon's time has come even earlier than expected, and his performance could be the key to lifting a talented Tennessee roster back to CFP contention. Olson: Texas Tech WR Micah Hudson. The former five-star recruit got off to a rocky start in his first year in Lubbock but has put in the work and finally looks ready for breakout season as a go-to receiver for Will Hammond. Rittenberg: Virginia Tech DE Aycen Stevens. He was among the more obvious selections for my annual college football sleepers list after a buzzy offseason where he impressed the new coaches and Brent Pry, his former head coach who will serve as defensive coordinator. Trotter: Colton Joseph. Poor QB play (and poor QB health) has doomed Wisconsin under coach Luke Fickell, but Joseph -- the reigning Sun Belt Offensive Player of the Year -- has the talent to finally put the Badgers offense back on track. Uggetti: USC WR Trent Mosley. I'm cheating because I just watched him put up 118 receiving yards on seven catches and a touchdown in his freshman debut but, yeah, so far Mosley looks like he might be the next great Trojan wideout. Wilson: Baylor's DJ Lagway is getting a fresh start under OC Jake Spavital, who works wonders with QBs.