The first full Saturday of the college football season arrives with the playoff picture already taking shape, at least in the early projections. Using Sports Illustrated’s preseason bracket and the opening-week read on a few contenders, the road to Las Vegas starts with Ohio State sitting on top.
The Buckeyes open against Ball State, a matchup that should give them a clean runway before next week’s trip to Austin. That meeting with Texas looms as one of the early games that could help sort out the national title race. Ohio State has the No. 1 spot for now, but that first real test is coming fast.
Miami wasted no time making a statement. Last season’s national runner-up jumped out Friday night in the Bay Area, and Malachi Toney’s Heisman Trophy push looks very much alive after what he did to the Cardinal. If the Hurricanes keep playing at that level, the ACC is going to have its hands full.
USC also got an early boost. Lincoln Riley seemed determined to avoid any lingering talk about a tighter-than-expected Week Zero result, and he kept his starters in long enough against Fresno State to finish off an impressive shutout on Friday night. Add in an offense that has already seen several freshmen look the part, and the Trojans look like they belong in the early Big Ten mix.
There’s plenty still to learn about Texas, especially with Arch Manning under center. Next week’s game against Ohio State should tell us more about his development and about the Longhorns’ depth under Steve Sarkisian. That one has the feel of a major early checkpoint.
The Cougars are the early Big 12 pick in SI’s projections, at least until there’s a clearer read on Texas Tech and its quarterback situation. The idea is simple: get over the hump and into the playoff conversation. For now, Houston has the edge.
Boise State enters the season as the default Group of 6 selection, though Memphis is waiting in the wings as competition for that spot. The Broncos also open as the presumed Pac-12 member in that race, and they’ll get an early chance to justify it.
Elsewhere, the week’s only ranked-vs.-ranked matchup has been pushed back a day, which means fans will have to wait on Trinidad Chambliss and Louisville. Until then, Lane Kiffin is drawing plenty of attention amid the latest swirl of antics coming out of Baton Rouge before LSU’s game against Clemson.
In Bloomington, the focus turns to Josh Hoover and how he handles the challenge of replacing the Heisman Trophy winner. Indiana will hang a banner and open against a very new-look North Texas team, so the first glimpse of Hoover will be worth watching closely.
Georgia’s offseason generated surprisingly little buzz, but the Bulldogs still enter nonconference play with the youngest roster in the sport. The real tests come later in SEC play.
Oregon gets Boise State at Autzen Stadium, and if the Ducks are truly the national title contender people think they are, this is the kind of game they should handle.
Notre Dame also carries something to prove after the way last season ended and the playoff snub that followed. The Irish get their chance to channel that frustration Sunday at Lambeau Field against a Wisconsin team that has improved.
In Other News...
Oregon Faces An Early WR Twist Fans Didn't Expect
Oregons season opener against Boise State brought an early shakeup to the receiver room, with Iverson Hooks not dressed for warmups and set to miss the game. That is a notable development for a transfer who arrived from UAB as one of the Ducks more interesting offseason additions and even landed on the Preseason Biletnikoff Award watchlist, raising expectations for what he might add to the offense right away.
Freshman Jalen Lott was also not dressed, which opens the door for other Oregon wideouts to pick up snaps and prove their place in the rotation. For a team trying to establish rhythm early in the year, the absence of two receivers changes the look of the depth chart before the first kickoff is even in the books. [Read more 🡒]
Oregon Opens With An Early Jalen Lott Concern Fans Will Watch
Oregons build toward its 2026 season opener against Boise State at Autzen Stadium got a little more complicated before kickoff when freshman wide receiver Jalen Lott and transfer Iverson Hooks were not spotted in pregame warmups. Lotts absence stood out most, given the attention he brought into camp and the fact that he was reportedly dealing with injuries suffered during the preseason stretch.
Because this is a non-conference game, the Ducks do not have to put out an official injury report, so the full picture remains unclear for now. What is clear is that Oregon may need to lean on some of its younger receivers sooner than planned, which adds another layer of intrigue to a first game that was already supposed to offer an early look at the depth chart. [Read more 🡒]
Oregon Just Got A Title Nod That Raises The Pressure Fast
Before the season even gets into its full grind, Oregon has already found itself in the kind of spotlight that can make a good year feel bigger. During a CBS Sports pregame show, the studio anchor and three college football analysts all said they believe the Ducks are the team to beat for the 2026 national championship, a prediction built around Dante Moore returning at quarterback and Dan Lanning still steering the program.
For Oregon, the attention is flattering, but it also comes with the familiar weight of expectation. The Ducks have been to the national title game before, in 2010 and 2014, and the next step is the one that has eluded them. Being talked about as a future champion is one thing, but living up to a forecast like this starts long before January. [Read more 🡒]