College Football Subject Matter Expert

A lifelong fandom of CFB made me the CFB_SME. Forget the national talking heads & rankings, I rank what happens on the field, not the logo on the helmet.

[College Football Subject Matter Expert @CFB_SME]

🚨 2026 PRESEASON FRAUD WATCH

18 of the last 19 seasons have had at least one preseason AP Top-10 team finish the season UNRANKED. Last year it happened to #2 Penn State, #4 Clemson AND #9 LSU. So somebody in this year’s Top 10 probably isn’t nearly as good as we think.

Who is it? 👀 #collegefootball @AP @AP_Top25

[College Football Subject Matter Expert @CFB_SME]

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[College Football Subject Matter Expert @CFB_SME]

Group of 6 Watch: Boise State is my #1 Group of 6 team in my preseason poll. The Broncos have the talent and, more importantly, the schedule to build a legitimate CFP résumé. Opening at Oregon gives Boise an immediate opportunity to make a national statement. If Boise can hold their own against Oregon (they won’t win), the rest of the schedule, especially in the new PAC-12, should be a cakewalk. @BroncoSportsFB

[College Football Subject Matter Expert @CFB_SME]

Boom-or-Bust: Having Bama at #8 might be my biggest boom-or-bust pick. The case for the BOOM is easy: the roster is loaded with talent, Kalen DeBoer is a proven coach, and this defense has the potential to be one of the best in the country. The BUST case is just as real: questions along the OL, an offense that has struggled to find consistency, and a team that at times has looked surprisingly soft and lacked the physicality we expect from Alabama. If the offense and OL come together, #8 might be too low. If they don’t, the AP could have this one right. 🐘@AlabamaFTBL

[College Football Subject Matter Expert @CFB_SME]

Underrated: The AP has Texas at #5. I have them #1. Texas has arguably the most talented roster in CFB, added Cam Coleman and two really good RBs, has Colin Simmons coming off the edge, and brings Arch Manning back at QB (barring another slow start). The schedule is brutal, but the roster is loaded and the coaching staff is proven (at least in the regular season). On paper, Texas looks like the most talented team in the country. Will they be able to hold onto that #1 ranking? Only time will tell. 🤘@TexasFootball

[College Football Subject Matter Expert @CFB_SME]

Overrated: The AP has Texas A&M at #8. I have them #12. A&M made the CFP last year, but a favorable schedule helped them get there, and 2026 is going to be a much different test. The Aggies face a significantly tougher schedule, and Marcel Reed still has something to prove against top competition after some of poor performances against better defenses. There’s plenty of talent in College Station, but #8 assumes last year’s success carries over against a much tougher road. I need to see it first. @AggieFootball

[AP Top 25 @AP_Top25]

https://t.co/T23NtgfCyw
Ohio State and Oregon are 1-2 in the preseason poll while the SEC leads conferences with nine ranked teams.

[College Football Subject Matter Expert @CFB_SME]

2026 Preseason CFP Bracket Prediction
@CFBPlayoff @JoshPateCFB @BFW @ESPNCFB @CollegeGameDay @CFBONFOX @BarstoolCFB @BNKonFOX

[College Football Subject Matter Expert @CFB_SME]

2026 Preseason Heisman Favorites:
1. Arch Manning, Texas
2. CJ Carr, Notre Dame
3. Jeremiah Smith, Ohio St
4. Darian Mensah, Miami
5. Julian Sayin, Ohio St
6. Malachi Toney, Miami
7. Dante Moore, Oregon
8. John Mateer, Oklahoma
9. Jayden Maiava, USC
10. Trinidad Chambliss
Dark Horse: Keelon Russell, Alabama
@CFBPlayoff @JoshPateCFB @BFW @ESPNCFB @CollegeGameDay @CFBONFOX @BarstoolCFB @BNKonFOX

[College Football Subject Matter Expert @CFB_SME]

2026 Preseason Group of 5 Rankings
1. Boise St
2. UNLV
3. Tulane
4. East Carolina
5. Navy
6. San Diego St
7. James Madison
8. Memphis
9. South Florida
10. Toledo
Dark Horse: Southern Miss
@CFBPlayoff @JoshPateCFB @BFW @ESPNCFB @CollegeGameDay @CFBONFOX @BarstoolCFB @BNKonFOX

[College Football Subject Matter Expert @CFB_SME]

2026 Preseason Top 16:
1. Texas
2. Ohio State
3. Indiana
4. Notre Dame
5. Miami
6. Oregon
7. Georgia
8. Alabama
9. Oklahoma
10. Ole Miss
11. USC
12. Texas A&M
13. Texas Tech
14. LSU
15. BYU
16. SMU
Dark Horse: Michigan
@CFBPlayoff @JoshPateCFB @BFW @ESPNCFB @CollegeGameDay @CFBONFOX @BarstoolCFB @BNKonFOX

[College Football Subject Matter Expert @CFB_SME]

- Army Navy fix: move it to the new proposed rivalry weekend Sunday with a noon kickoff. Have CBS have the late kickoff slot for the NFL so they keep the army navy game. Still gets its own day from a CFB perspective. Also playing it on Thanksgiving will be tough if either are in their conference championship.
- I also suggest having a group of 5 play-in bowl game (top 2 group of 5 teams) played during that extra data point bowl game weekend. This ensures all playoff teams play the same amount of games before the playoff. Have group of 5 conference championship games during rivalry weekend. Group of 5 becomes the new week 0 games as they’d have to start early

[College Football Subject Matter Expert @CFB_SME]

- Army Navy fix: move it to the new proposed rivalry weekend Sunday with a noon kickoff. Have CBS have the late kickoff slot for the NFL so they keep the army navy game. Still gets its own day from a CFB perspective. Also playing it on Thanksgiving will be tough if either are in their conference championship.
- I also suggest having a group of 5 play-in bowl game (top 2 group of 5 teams) played during that extra data point bowl game weekend. This ensures all playoff teams play the same amount of games before the playoff. Have group of 5 conference championship games during rivalry weekend. Group of 5 becomes the new week 0 games as they’d have to start early

[College Football Subject Matter Expert @CFB_SME]

@JoshPateCFB Have group of 5 conference championship games during rivalry weekend. Group of 5 becomes the new week 0 games as they’d have to stat early

[College Football Subject Matter Expert @CFB_SME]

Indiana looks like Bama from 10 years ago

[Jake Olson @JakeOlson61]

League source confirms Marcus Freeman declined the Giants HC job after the NFL rejected his proposal for the team to set its own schedule and receive an automatic playoff berth each year.

[College Football Subject Matter Expert @CFB_SME]

That will show em…bunch of cry babies.

[On3 @On3]

BREAKING: Notre Dame has declined its bowl invitation after being snubbed from the College Football Playoff👀

https://t.co/mx8qYMVgz1

[College Football Subject Matter Expert @CFB_SME]

Official Playoff Prediction Based On CFP Rankings

[College Football Subject Matter Expert @CFB_SME]

@ClayTravis Not unpopular at all, nobody wants to watch Oregon beat JMU by 40 in Oregon, but everyone would like to see Bama play Oregon in Eugene.