Texas and Ohio State may have separated themselves again in the race for college football’s best roster in 2026, but the rest of the sport’s elite money teams are right there in the mix.
That was the loudest takeaway from a CBS Sports straw poll of 23 front-office personnel across the sport, with Texas finishing first in total mentions and Ohio State right behind. The Longhorns were named by 11 respondents either alone or paired with another team, while the Buckeyes were mentioned eight times. The broader picture was just as clear: there’s a small upper tier, and it’s crowded with the usual heavy hitters.
“There's a tier of Texas, Oregon, Ohio State, Miami and Notre Dame,” according to an ACC assistant general manager.
College football’s roster arms race is now pushing the top programs well past the spending level that used to define championship contention. In 2024, the figure was roughly $20 million, about what champion Ohio State spent that year, though some schools were already climbing above $30 million. For 2026, CBS Sports reported that the standard title-contender range has moved north of $30 million for roughly the 15 teams in the mix.
Texas drew the strongest reaction from the poll. One Big Ten GM couldn’t help but marvel at the Longhorns’ ceiling.
"It's hard not to look at Texas and be like Jesus, is this the year that Sark just rolls through everything?" another Big Ten GM said.
Still, not everyone was ready to crown anybody before the games start. An SEC staffer who agreed Texas had the best roster pointed to how quickly the picture can change once the season begins.
"We said that about LSU last year. These days, you really don't know until teams hit the field with all the portal stuff. Who woulda thought Virginia woulda made the run they did last year?"
Ohio State’s case came down to something more specific: depth. A Big Ten assistant GM said the Buckeyes may not always own the single best player at every spot, but their back half of the roster stands out.
"Some teams may have a better peak player at a position here or there, or better 1-22, but nobody is better from 23-44. They've got backup players who I turn the tape on and say they'd start for us today."
Miami finished next in the polling, collecting six mentions. Oregon got five, and Notre Dame picked up two. One SEC scout flagged Notre Dame’s schedule as a reason the Irish might not look as battle-tested by December if they’re trying to reach the playoff.
Georgia also surfaced as a wild card. One ACC director of player personnel singled out the Bulldogs with this assessment:
"Their year to return to top. Elite defense, and they have a proven QB who is a good player and doesn't get enough respect."
The full poll reflected that same split between the obvious giants and the few teams trying to crash the gate. Some respondents went with Texas alone.
Others split between Texas and Ohio State, or Texas and Oregon. Several landed on Miami, and a handful leaned into Ohio State’s depth.
One Group of Six voice acknowledged how murky the picture can be outside the power structure, citing coaching turnover and calling out Boise, UNLV and Western Michigan among the teams worth watching in their respective groups.
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