Calling My Shot: Biggest 2026 CFB Storylines

By Chris Marler

The way-too-early 2026 college football predictions are out in full force. Keeping with that theme we continue our look ahead to next year with some of the offseason storylines we will hear ad nauseum for the next eight months. Here are my way-too-early predictions on some of those takes. 

Will Arch Manning win a Heisman? 

I don’t know if I am emotionally stable enough to handle another full offseason of Arch and Texas hype, but it’s definitely coming. This year it may actually be warranted. The unfair expectations that were put on Manning in Year One were ridiculous, especially considering the amount of talent the Longhorns lost from the 2024 team. This year they appear to be all in. They spent a fortune in the transfer portal, and brought in three new offensive weapons to help take some of the pressure off of Manning next season. 

Now, will he win the Heisman, lead Texas to the 2026 national title, become the No. 1 overall pick in the 2027 NFL Draft, and run for president in 2028 like it felt like some people were predicting a year ago? I doubt it, but I do think he’ll be very good and be at the ceremony in New York next December. He’s in a great offense, and finally seems to have figured out some things after a rough start to 2025. Plus, he has Cam Coleman at receiver and one of the best offensive minds in all of football calling plays. 

BREAKING: Auburn transfer WR Cam Coleman has committed to Texas, he announced🤘https://t.co/HDFEybJEdF pic.twitter.com/QKynNc88Wl

— On3 (@On3) January 11, 2026

Will he win though? It’s hard for me to imagine that Jeremiah Smith isn’t also in New York. Not only will Smith be viewed as a “career award” candidate, but he’s also the best player in America and has been for two years already. 

Prediction: No 

Will the SEC end their national title drought? 

It’s tough to say anything this early with any certainty in this day and age of college football. We are coming off a national championship winner that is historically the worst team in the Power Four and is the second lowest preseason ranked team to ever win a national title in the BCS and CFP era. The SEC will have a lot of great teams next year. Not good teams, great teams, and complete teams. 

I don’t know if they’ll get five teams in the field again, but I do know that Texas, Georgia, and LSU are legitimate threats to win the national championship. Texas A&M, Oklahoma, and Ole Miss all feel really strongly about their chances of returning to the 12 team playoff. Teams like Alabama and Tennessee are being overlooked. 

I have no clue what Indiana will look like, but I’m a firm believer that Curt Cignetti can get them back. I can also only assume that Texas Tech, Ohio State, Oregon, and Notre Dame will be just as good if not better next year. It’s proven to be very difficult to win a 12 team playoff in general so far, but especially for the SEC. The big difference is this year there were five deserving teams in the field, but none that were truly complete or elite. That will not be the case next year. 

1-2-3 in a row.

The Conference. The Football Standard. pic.twitter.com/CMgJKF9ODY

— Big Ten Conference (@bigten) January 20, 2026

Prediction: Maybe. I won’t go out on a limb and say an SEC team flat out wins the title because the Big Ten is the best conference at the top right now. I do think they’ll be back in the title game at the very least and will have several candidates to get there. There is a better chance of two SEC teams in the national championship game than none..  

Will Kalen DeBoer be on the hot seat? 

Don’t ask Tim Brando, Nicole Auerbach, or any Finebaum callers. They will have a different answer. I think there will be more pressure on DeBoer this season than last, and I don’t know if this year will be one where Alabama is playoff bound. Not making the playoff this year shouldn’t be a deal breaker in the marriage between DeBoer and Alabama. 

The lens to look through for Alabama is the level of success they have over the next two years. It’s not easy to make the playoff, and DeBoer did that in year two and even won a road game by double digits. You know what’s even more difficult than making the CFP? Replacing Nick Saban. No logical person around that program is losing their mind over having back-to-back four loss seasons despite what is being said by rival fans on social media. Furthermore, no decision makers or important people around the program are joining in on that false narrative because they know what most logical people know which is making the CFP in 2025 after losing 41 players and the greatest coach of all time to start 2024 was going to be an uphill battle.

The spotlight will be on development in 2026 as Alabama could head into the season with just seven seniors leading a very young roster. pic.twitter.com/syPNnGkdxG

— Cover Crimson (@CoverCrimson) January 20, 2026

This season, Alabama should have a very talented roster thanks to DeBoer and his staff pulling in back-to-back top three recruiting classes. The issue is they’re also going to be one of the youngest rosters in the SEC and maybe the country with just seven seniors on the team. It will be interesting to see what Alabama does this season, but what will be more interesting is the retention and ability to compete in 2027 before they make any rash decisions on DeBoer. 

Prediction: No