This is an article version of the CBS Sports HQ AM Newsletter, the ultimate guide to every day in sports. Week 0 gave us a great appetizer for the 2026 college football season, but Week 1 will begin the feast that lasts for several months. With that in mind, our team of college football experts has submitted their College Football Playoff and national title predictions.
When it comes to national championship contenders, there was a relatively deep pool of teams from which to pick, and five different teams got votes. One of the four teams that received two votes was Notre Dame, and our own Brad Crawford believes Marcus Freeman has built a nearly bulletproof roster. Without giving away our full slate of CFP predictions, here is how John Talty sees the field shaking out: 1.
Boise State LSU was one of the teams featured prominently in our predictions -- in everything from most overrated teams to the College Football Playoff picks. Everyone has an opinion on Lane Kiffin and the Tigers, and the program keeps leaning into controversy as it prepares to battle the SEC in court. For other coaches, the focus will just be keeping their jobs beyond 2026.
Here are the biggest games for coaches on the hottest seats this fall. Arch Manning came up as a Heisman Trophy selection in our 2026 college football predictions. If that happens, he will have a great case to be the No. 1 pick in the 2027 NFL Draft.
That's exactly where our own Mike Renner has Manning projected in his latest 2027 mock draft -- going to the Dolphins at the top of the board. If Manning continues his exceptional play from the end of the 2025 season, he will be a near lock for the top pick next spring. Here's a quick look at how Renner sees the back end of the first round shaking out: 28.
Broncos: Nick Prongos, OT, Stanford 29. Texans: Ahmad Hardy, RB, Missouri 30. Ravens: Yhonzae Pierre, DE, Alabama 31.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
