As with any college football season, 2026 will have its share of compelling storylines to watch on the road to Vegas.
Lots of them.
None more telling than this: It could be the Year of the Quarterback.
The landscape includes a slew of returning and very capable players at the position, many of whom can certainly consider themselves Heisman Trophy contenders.
You have Arch Manning at Texas, CJ Carr at Notre Dame, Dante Moore at Oregon, Trinidad Chambliss at Mississippi, Julian Sayin at Ohio State and even former UNLV signal-caller Jayden Maiava at USC.
And there are more. It’s all pointing to perhaps a record number being first-round NFL draft picks.
The most interesting case might be Manning, who entered college with as much fanfare as any player in years, the main reason being his last name.
He struggled early in his first year as a starter but played much better as things went along, finishing with more than 3,100 yards passing and 26 touchdowns.
“What he got through probably would have melted or destroyed 99 percent of the people in his shoes,” Texas coach Steve Sarkisian told reporters. “Right now he’s a very dangerous player because he learned a lot from last season.
“I think early in the season, Arch was trying to be so perfect … the second half of the season, he just kind of said, ‘Screw it. I’m going to go play.’ He’s a lot more confident. I think that last season he found out a lot about himself.”
Manning is on track to be the No. 1 overall draft pick. The Longhorns also aim to take at least one step forward this season after missing out on the College Football Playoff last year.
Coach talk
Coaches will also be featured amid the more telling storylines this season, beginning with Lane Kiffin at LSU after his forgettable departure from Mississippi.
Kiffin will be under immense pressure to get things done with the Tigers after leaving the Rebels without a coach before they competed in the CFP last season.
“I don’t handle breakups well, I guess,” Kiffin told the SEC Network. “Two things can be right at the same time.”
Meaning he could be devoted to both Mississippi and LSU, but said taking the job in Baton Rouge was the right call.
Don’t miss the LSU at Ole Miss game on Sept. 19.
There will for sure be some fireworks with that one.
Many coaches, unlike Kiffin, will be on the hot seat this season, including Lincoln Riley at USC. The pressure is definitely on him to produce a contender for the Big Ten title and a CFP berth.
His buyout is reportedly more than $50 million, but this is USC and its boosters with very deep pockets. Anything short of the CFP probably won’t cut it again for Riley.
Which will be the most dominant conference?
The SEC, with a high of nine teams ranked in the preseason Top 25, will undoubtedly claim superiority once again.
But remember: The past three national champions come from the Big Ten in Michigan, Ohio State and Indiana.
That conference has eight teams in the preseason Top 25.
It will be interesting to see which non-Power Four team grabs a spot in the CFP this season. Boise State in the new-look Pac-12 (yes, that league has returned with all sorts of new faces) is the favorite.
But others to contend for such a berth include UNLV under second-year coach Dan Mullen. The Rebels have a tough road schedule to manage if they’re to be in serious consideration. Games at Hawaii, Air Force and New Mexico are no joke.
But should the Rebels find early success against teams in Memphis, Hawaii and North Texas, it’s likely you will discover them among those ranked in the Top 25.
And that could be just a start towards the CFP.
Repeat champion?
You can’t talk about 2026 without mentioning defending national champion Indiana, which went 16-0 last season en route to its first title.
We’re not sure if they’re good enough to go back-to-back — Fernando Mendoza is now playing quarterback for a certain silver and black team — but we’re also the last ones to bet against a Curt Cignetti-coached side.
And what of Miami, last year’s runners-up to the Hoosiers? Much will depend on the play of quarterback Darian Mensah, who with a great season could find himself among those Heisman hopefuls listed above.
It could shape up to be one of the more memorable seasons in some time, what with the quarterback play and there essentially being 7-8 teams with a legitimate shot at winning the CFP.
It all makes for some compelling storylines as we count down to the CFP title game at Allegiant Stadium on Jan. 25.
Which is like most college football seasons.
Contact Ed Graney at egraney@reviewjournal.com. Follow @edgraney on X.
