Mark Blaudschun
By Mark Blaudschun
One of the rites of fall for college football fans is picking pre-season Top 10's' and award winners.
Not here.
In this era of free agency and million dollar deals, it is tough enough to find out who is playing for which school, much less how they will do.
What we are much more confident in predicting for the 2026 season are the Top 10 storylines which will be developing in the next few months.
So here goes:
1. Can Indiana repeat as a Top 10 team and even national champion?
Yes and probably not.
We will give Indiana coach Curt Cignetti credit for calling out the media in the middle of last season's historic undefeated national championship season for not giving the Hoosiers enough respect simply because their jerseys spelled out I-N-D-I-A-N-A.
Cignetti was correct.
If Ohio State or Alabama or Georgia had fashioned a 27-2 record over the past two seasons and had a reasonable amount of returnees and talented newcomers they would be a heavy favorite to repeat.
Indiana?
Not so much. A Top team? Probably?
But repeat as national champion?
That's the intriguing story line.
2. Will the SEC or anyone else end the Big Ten's three-year run as national champion?
Yes.
Indiana could repeat and Ohio State is always a threat as are Texas and Georgia in the always lurking SEC.
We think it will be another candidate for super motivated Notre Dame.
Something to watch.
3. Can Oregon climb the final hurdle to the top?
The Ducks are a soft favorite to continue the Big Ten's streak and are getting a lot of support as No. 1 in pre season.
Oregon ended its last two seasons with losses to Indiana and Ohio State, the past two national champions.
Coach Dan Lanning is 48-8 in his five seasons in Eugene and he has the talent to make another run in January. A game at Ohio State on November 7th should be an indicator.
4. Will Texas and QB Arch Manning finally match their high pre-season aspirations?
A good indicator will come on Sept. 12 when Ohio State visits Austin.
The winner takes a giant leap forward and the loser must regroup.
If it's Texas, that could be a challenge.
The Longhorns must deal with Oklahoma, Ole MIss, LSU and Texas A&M-all pre-season Top 10 caliber teams as well as someone like Georgia in the SEC title game.
5. Can LSU turn into a monster with Lane Kiffin as its new coach?
Yes it can.
Kiffin has won almost every place he has coached. He has a $40 million NIL roster which is filled with talent. Watch the game at Ole Miss on Sept. 19 as a barometer of where this is team is.
6. Is Miami a legitimate national championship contender?
The Hurricanes always are, but they always underachieve, having never won a conference championship in their 20-year run in the ACC or a national championship since 2001.
But they hauled in the poster boy transfer QB in Duke's Darian Mensah and enough talent to reach the CFP game in Las Vegas.
Can they overcome the (Coach Mario) Cristobal factor? It comes up every year in key games the Hurricanes face, and not in a good way.
7. Will Virginia Tech become a Top 20 team again with James Franklin as its new coach?
Absolutely.
Franklin is a winner--104-45 in 12 years at Penn State.
The only problem is he can't beat Top 10 teams.
Not a problem at Tech this season. The Hokies won't see a Top 10 team until they travel to Miami on November 20th and by then they should have 7 or 8 wins and be a solid Top 20 team.
8.Can Michigan and Penn State bounce back following coaching changes?
Yes and Yes.
Michigan coach Kyle Whittingham came from Utah as a proven winner and inherits a Wolverine roster that does not need rebuilding. The Wolverines, who lost to Oklahoma last season in Norman, host the Sooners on Sept. 12 in a game that should indicate what direction they are headed.
Meanwhile, Iowa State coach Matt Campbell was a late and the right choice to replace James Franklin at Penn State
Campbell brought a good portion of his starting lineup from Ames and they will make the Nittany Lions a factor.
9. Will USC be a true sleeper as a Big Ten and national championship contender?
Yes. This is a make or break year for USC coach Lincoln Riley, whose teams haven't produced on the field like a Lincoln would on the highway .
Notre Dame (disgracefully) is not on the Trojans schedule this season. Key home games against Oregon (Sept. 26th)
and Ohio State (Oct 31) will be litmus tests.
10. Will North Carolina rebound in Bill Belichick's second season?
The initial response is No. The TarHeels look overmatched against the talent they will face..
But Belichick knows how to coach defense and he brought in offense guru Bobby Petrino, who is an intriguing.hire
Early look will come in Week Zero opener in Dublin vs. TCU.
#30
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