The College Football Playoff conversation keeps circling the usual powers, but 2026 could finally open the door for a few programs still chasing their first invite. Alabama, Clemson, Ohio State, Georgia and Oklahoma have all spent plenty of time in the mix. The next wave, though, might come from a different tier entirely.
USC is the biggest name on that list, and the Trojans enter 2026 with a clear route to changing their CFP story. Ranked No. 14, they sit behind Ohio State, Indiana and Oregon in the Big Ten pecking order, which means the path is steep but not closed.
The catch is that USC gets all three on the schedule: Oregon and Ohio State come to Los Angeles, while Indiana awaits on the road. If Jayden Maiava can land one of those upsets, a 10-2 finish is very much on the table.
BYU is another team that has already come close enough to taste it. The Cougars went 12-1 in the regular season a year ago before the Big 12 title game went sideways in a 34-7 loss that ended the idea of the league landing a second team.
Now ranked No. 15 in the coaches poll, BYU has two real ways in: beat Texas Tech, whom it does not play in the regular season, or make itself undeniable as the Big 12’s next-best team. The October 17 game against Notre Dame could swing that entire conversation, and Bear Bachmeier could end up being the one who puts BYU over the top.
Utah belongs in that same Big 12 discussion. The Utes are No. 21 in the preseason and come off an 11-2 season in which their only losses were to Texas Tech and BYU.
Tech is off the schedule this time, so the November 7 home meeting with BYU looms as the key chance to shape Utah’s playoff case. Devon Dampier returns at quarterback, and with an offense that scored 41.3 points per game last season, Utah has the kind of profile that could matter even if it doesn’t win the league outright.
Iowa looks like the Big Ten’s sneaky candidate. The Hawkeyes are ranked No. 22 and always bring a defense that can drag teams into the mud, but the offense has been the barrier.
Still, last season’s 9-4 finish was a lot closer to something bigger than it looked, with four losses by a combined 15 points and defeats against Indiana and Oregon among them. A little more offense against those two teams and Iowa might have already been in the CFP picture.
Tim Lester has helped the scoring jump from 15.4 points per game in 2023 to 27.7 and 29.3 over the last two seasons, and a surprisingly efficient quarterback could be the final piece.
Missouri may be the SEC’s best shot at a first-time playoff breakthrough. The Tigers opened 5-0 last season before settling at 8-5, and the preseason No. 25 team faces a brutal league slate that could either bury its hopes or create them.
Austin Simmons will have to survive Texas A&M, a road trip to Ole Miss in October, and home dates with Texas and Oklahoma in November, with Georgia in between. That’s five punishing games, but with three of them at home, Missouri could still make a serious push if it manages 3-2 or even 4-1 through that stretch.
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Jaren Kump helped make that possible last season, with Harrison pointing to the veteran as a major influence on his football IQ through mentorship and film study. Harrison has been clear about appreciating the chance to learn from Kump, and now the next step is putting those lessons to work when the Utes get back on the field. [Read more 🡒]
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Utah plans to find ways to use Ficklin in different spots this season, with offensive coordinator Kevin McGiven pointing to the kind of versatility that can keep a player involved even before he becomes the main man. Hell keep working under quarterbacks coach Ryan Gunderson and McGiven, and the long view is clear enough: if the development keeps going the way Utah hopes, Ficklin could be positioned to take over as the quarterback of the future in 2027. [Read more 🡒]