The college football season is approaching and teams are preparing to win their conferences. Here are the 2026 college football conference winner predictions.
Miami made the National Championship Game last season and should have a quality roster again this season. Malachi Toney was a great freshman receiver with 1,211 yards and is a game-changer. Bruising running back Mark Fletcher rushed for 1,192 yards and 12 touchdowns, so the Hurricanes have go-to guys through the air and on the ground. Darian Mensah is transferring in from Duke to play quarterback, which improves the position. Some work is to be done on developing the offensive line, but Mario Cristobal thrives at that. Six starters are back on defense, including solid draft prospects defensive tackle Ahmad Moten and cornerback OJ Fredrique Jr. Edge rusher Damon Wilson can help fill some of the production lost to the NFL last season and help the defense be good again.
Miami will have these key games at Clemson and vs. Florida State in conference. The schedule is manageable for them to have another great season. Their competition in the conference will be Louisville and SMU. Both of those teams have talent, but would need to make a couple of game jump to match what Miami did last season. Miami also doesn’t play them in the regular season, giving them a lot of wiggle room in conference to make something happen.
While Brendan Sorsby is not suiting up for the Red Raiders, they still have plenty of talent. Will Hammond played some last year before tearing his ACL. Once healthy, he should be capable of running the offense, especially with five other starters back on offense along with some talented transfers. The defense ranked third in the country in scoring last season, but they lost some talent to the NFL. Edge rusher Trey White is a productive pass rusher transferring in from Kansas State, while linebacker Austin Romaine racked up tackles at Kansas State before moving to Lubbock. Five starters return, so it should be a solid unit again.
Texas Tech has an easier conference schedule with the only very tough game coming at home against Houston. The Red Raiders avoid BYU and Utah, giving them a chance to go through the schedule unscathed or with just one loss. Their roster talent is good enough to get them to the Big 12 Championship, then they’ll have to beat one of the other top contenders in a one-off to win it.
So much talent is returning to Oregon this season. Dante Moore is back at quarterback after he could’ve been selected really early in the 2026 NFL Draft. Skill position players will be back and effective, with the likes of Jordon Davison, Dakorien Moore, Jeremiah McLellan, Evan Stewart and tight end Jamari Johnson giving plenty of quality options to move the ball. Iapani Laloulu anchors the line at center in what should be a solid unit. On defense, the front will be dangerous. Edge rusher Matayo Uiagalelei and defensive tackle A’Mauri Washington could’ve gone pro in the first round or two of the draft and can wreak havoc. The already quality secondary will be bolstered by Minnesota transfer Koi Perich.
Oregon has a few key games in conference: at USC, at Ohio State, vs. Michigan and vs. Washington. There are a decent amount of tough games and the Ducks could drop one or two. Their talent should be able to overcome most obstacles. They will have to stave off Ohio State, Indiana, USC and Michigan, but those teams have tough schedules too. The Ducks should be in contention for the Big Ten Championship Game and then should have a shot to win it if they make it.
Arch Manning played well down the stretch last year and now gets another offseason of growth to put on display. Texas brought in transfers to bolster the skill position players, as running backs Raleek Brown and Hollywood Smothers come in as big play guys and wide receiver Cam Coleman should produce like one of the best in the country. The offensive line got a boost when Trevor Goosby didn’t enter the draft, and two other starters are back too.
Texas has these key conference games: at Tennessee, vs. Oklahoma (Dallas), vs. Florida, vs. Ole Miss, at LSU and at Texas A&M. While the schedule is daunting, Texas has the returnees and transfers to win the majority of these games. They could miss out on the SEC Championship Game because of all the good contenders, but if they do make it, they can win it and then do some damage in the CFP.
American Conference: Navy Midshipmen
There is a lot of roster turnover at a lot of schools, but not as much at Navy. The Midshipmen have 10 returning starters coming back from a team that won 11 games. They avoid playing Tulane and USF, some of the other big contenders in the conference.
C-USA: Delaware Blue Hens
Delaware was new to the FBS level last season and won seven games. They have 12 starters returning, including quarterback Nick Minicucci who is comfortable and productive in the offense. The C-USA is wide open and the Blue Hens have less roster turnover than others and should be able to take a step forward.
MAC: Western Michigan Broncos
There are 11 starters coming back from Western Michigan after they won 10 games last season. They bring back experience at plenty of position groups, but will need some new players to step up on the defensive front. The roster has stability and quality, which is something the rest of the conference is struggling with due to roster and coach turnover.
Mountain West: New Mexico Lobos
New Mexico won nine games last season and return 13 starters from that team. The offensive line brings back four starters and should be a strength in the new Mountain West. They get to play UNLV and North Dakota State at home, which should help their chances in those contests, helping them compete for a championship.
Pac-12: Boise State Broncos
Boise State is the leading contender to represent the Group of Six in the CFP this season. There are 12 starters returning, including quarterback Maddux Madsen, who continues to develop. Running back Dylan Riley had 1,125 rushing yards last season and some experienced players come back for the passing game in Cameron Bates, Ben Ford and tight end Matt Wagner. Defensively, edge rusher Jayden Virgin-Morgan can get after the passer well with 16 sacks over the last two seasons. The defense was average last season and has a chance to take a step forward. The Broncos should be a step ahead roster-wise than the rest of the conference.
Sun-Belt: Marshall Thundering Herd
In Tony Gibson’s first year at Marshall, he won five games. With six starters back on offense and three on defense, along with some transfers, Marshall should be able to turn some of their one score losses into wins and compete in the Sun Belt. They don’t play Troy, another contender, but do play James Madison and Georgia Southern on the road in tough games. Still, they should be able to be in the running for the SBC Championship late in the season.
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