Dutch Lion’s 2026 College Football Spectacular

Dutch Lion’s 2026 College Football Spectacular

As the years roll by, there is a comfort in the beginning of new seasons, and currently we’re entering another football season. Despite the changes taking place in warp speed, college football in America is still a bastion of pomp, color, parties, tailgating, cheering, and of course, competition. Competition – that’s what it’s all about.

Speaking of competitive spirit, take these two guys, Jim McMahon and Brian Bosworth. These guys were unapologetic in their quest to win. “Get outta my way” was their spirit. And thus, forty years ago, Sports Illustrated published what might be the best cover in the history of their magazine. Jim McMahon and the Boz! This was the inspiration for me. Tough guys kickin’ ass on the field, and off.

Annually, I write this “College Football Spectacular” preview because I am so excited that I need to pour my thoughts onto a page as both therapy and as a way to project hope. We’ve been doing this now for about a decade. How many times have I correctly predicted the National Champion?… I’m not sure. Somebody read my archives and let me know.

As usual, I will cover the teams, players, trends, and predictions. With help from our man Phil Steele, along with all of the other preview magazines that I peruse daily, I will predict the CFP and the eventual National Champion. For this year’s special topic, I will cover rivalries. As Hawk Harrelson used to say, “rivalries are what drive this game”. Of course, Hawk was referring to baseball, but it’s the same with collegiate sports, especially football.

Without further ado, this year’s National Champion will be:

2026 Top 25

1. Oregon Ducks – How many years have the Oregon Ducks been knocking on the door on their way to winning their first ever national championship? They have officially lost in the “Championship” game in both 2010 and 2014. Many other times they’ve been so close you could smell the pine trees in the wind. Is this the year they finally claim the top spot?
2. Notre Dame Fighting Irish – Another program that is waaaay overdue for a national title is Notre Dame. The last time ND won it all was in 1988. That was 38 years ago! They could do it this year for Head Coach Marcus Freeman, who is their best coach since Lou Holtz hoisted the trophy in his third season. Freeman is now coaching in his fifth season, going 9-4, 10-3, 14-2, and 10-2 over his first four years. Consistent, steady, and improving. The talent is top notch. The quarterback, C.J. Carr, is experienced. The number of returning starters is heavy, with 7 on offense and 10 on defense. Add it all up and it might equal a championship to end the long drought for the Catholics from South Bend. Is there a rivalry on the way vs Indiana? You betcha.
3. Texas Longhorns – Head Coach Steve Sarkisian is on the cusp of greatness. He might take the ‘Horns all the way. With wunderkind quarterback Arch Manning, the sky is the limit!
4. Georgia Bulldogs – Why not UGA winning it all again? They have as good as chance as anyone.
5. Ohio State Buckeyes – I have Buckeye fatigue. Anyone else? Their program is clearly the best program up north, for the longest period of time. They are the Big Ten’s premier program, for now. But change could be on the horizon.
6. Miami Hurricanes – One thing in common with all my top programs is the head coach. Miami has an up n coming program because of their head man, Mario Cristobal. Watch out for the Hurricanes to keep pushing to the top.
7. Texas Tech Red Raiders – What’s going on in Lubbock? Talk about sudden competitiveness, these Red Raiders came out of nowhere last year with their roster. How did they get there so quickly? It is because of money, funding, NIL, and the modern roster building techniques. You can seemingly change your roster overnight because of transfers. How do you get transfers? You pay them, fair and square. Are we sure about this? Texas Tech is now the program in Texas because they are openly paying everyone, the way SMU did in the 1980s, before the death penalty. The rules changed, and now TTech is taking advantage.
8. Oklahoma Sooners – Head Coach Brent Venables is bringing defense to Norman. This is quite a change from the days of Lincoln Riley. It’s taken a few years, but the transformation at OU is close (or at least closer) to complete. What used to be the place for Heisman winning quarterbacks in now the place for devastating defenses.
9. USC Trojans
10. Texas A&M Aggies
11. LSU Tigers
12. Alabama Crimson Tide
13. Ole Miss Rebels
14. Indiana Hoosiers – The most unbelievable story in college athletics is certainly Coach Curt Cignetti and the Indiana Hoosiers. They went 16-0! They won the National Championship! What would be even MORE unbelievable? If they did it again. Not so fast! There is absolutely no way they can do it again. No Fernando Mendoza = no national title. The Hoosiers are obviously good. The real deal. However, nobody repeats in college ball, well hardly anybody.
15. BYU Cougars
16. SMU Mustangs
17. Clemson Tigers – One of the more intriguing teams this year is Clemson. Coach Dabo Swinney might be on the “hot seat”, which is hard to believe. This great coach is in a downtrend because he’s being a bit stubborn in his philosophy of not accepting transfers. He doesn’t really believe in it. He’s old school. Are the fans mad? Hard to say, for I’m sure there are diehards on both sides of this fence. Bottom line, will he make Clemson a contender again soon? With at least 4 losses for three consecutive seasons, he better win. Last year’s 7-6 was somewhat embarrassing for the former two-time national champion. Swinney has 9 ACC titles and 7 CFB Playoff appearances, yet he’s trending downward as of late. Maybe Dabo’s time has past?
18. Navy Midshipmen
19. Tennessee Volunteers
20. Arizona Wildcats
21. Iowa Hawkeyes
22. Penn St. Nittany Lions
23. TCU Horned Frogs
24. Houston Cougars
25. Nebraska Cornhuskers

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2026 All Americans

OFFENSE

QB1 Arch Manning/Texas

QB2 Dante Moore/Oregon

QB3 Trinidad Chambliss/Ole Miss

RB1 Kewan Lacy/Ole Miss

RB2 Mark Fletcher/Miami

WR1 Jeremiah Smith/Ohio St.

WR2 Duce Robinson/Florida St.

WR3 Malachi Toney/Miami

TE1 Trey’Dez Green/LSU

TE2 Luke Reynolds/Virginia Tech

OT Carter Smith/Indiana

OT Jordan Seaton/LSU

OG Brandon Baker/Texas

OG/C Kade Pieper/Iowa

C Iapani Laloulu/Oregon

AP Jacory Barney/Nebraska – 5 carries, 45 catches, 22 punt returns, 13 kickoff returns, 5 touchdowns as a 170 pound sophomore

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DEFENSE

DE Colin Simmons/Texas

DE Matayo Uiagalelei/Oregon

DT A’Mauri Washington/Oregon

DT David Stone/Oklahoma

LB Sammy Brown/Clemson

LB Raylen Wilson/Georgia

LB Whit Weeks/LSU

CB Leonard Moore/Notre Dame

CB Ellis Robinson/Georgia

FS Koi Perich/Oregon

SS K.J. Bolden/Georgia

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SPECIAL TEAMS

K Lucas Carneiro/Ole Miss

P Palmer Williams/Baylor

KR J’Koby Williams/Texas Tech

PR Ryan Niblett/Texas

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2026 Award Winners

Heisman Trophy – Arch Manning/QB/Texas

Butkus Award – Sammy Brown/LB/Clemson

Coach of the Year – Dan Lanning/HC/Oregon

Bednarik Award (Defense) – Colin Simmons/DE/Texas

Jim Thorpe Award (DB) – Leonard Moore/CB/Notre Dame

Doak Walker Award (RB) – Mark Fletcher/RB/Miami

Fred Biletnikoff Award (WR) – Jeremiah Smith/WR/Ohio State

John Mackey Award (TE) – Trey’Dez Green/TE/LSU

Lou Groza Award (PK) – Lucas Carneiro/K/Ole Miss

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2026 CFP Preview

There’s been quite a lot of discussion about expansion, but for now, we’re standing pat. This year’s CFP will once again consist of 12 teams. The top four schools get a bye. The #5 through #8 seeds host playoff games on campus. They will host seeds #9 through #12 in the First Round. These winners will then play the top seeds in the Quarterfinals which are held in bowls. Here’s our mock Playoff field:

#1 Oregon

#2 Notre Dame

#3 Texas

#4 Georgia

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1st Round

#12 Navy Midshipmen at #5 Ohio St. – Don’t sleep on Navy. They have had back-to-back excellent seasons, going 10-3 in ’24 and then 11-2 last year. Their only losses were at North Texas and at Notre Dame in back-to-back weeks. They snuck by Army and then won the Liberty Bowl handily over Cincinnati, 35-13. This year they have 11 returning starters. Could they go into Ohio Stadium and upset the Buckeyes?

#11 LSU Tigers at #6 Miami Hurricanes – When I look at LSU, I feel like they’re stacked. I believe in many of their players, and in Coach Lane Kiffin. However, a first year coach takes some time to install his system. I feel like Miami is a few years ahead in this process.

#10 Texas A&M Aggies at #7 Texas Tech Red Raiders – The common them regarding Texas Tech this year is their unproven quarterback situation because of the gambling controversy regarding Brendan Sorsby. However, they still have Will Hammond. This kid is confident, feels like it’s HIS team anyway, with or without Sorsby. With a weaker schedule (#81 according to Phil Steele), they might run the table because of their strong defense. Can they beat the Aggies in a Texas showdown?

#9 USC Trojans at #8 Oklahoma Sooners – Now this would be an interesting matchup. You have “offense vs defense”. You have the former OU coach now in L.A. You have an 8 vs 9 “pick ’em” game. Can Venables’s D shut down Riley’s O?

Potential CFP Sleepers: Arizona Wildcats, Alabama Crimson Tide, Houston Cougars, BYU Cougars, Clemson Tigers, SMU Mustangs, Nebraska Cornhuskers, Penn St. Nittany Lions, Iowa Hawkeyes, Washington Huskies, Ole Miss Rebels, Boise St. Broncos, Fresno St. Bulldogs

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Quarterfinals

#1 Oregon vs #8 Oklahoma (Rose Bowl)

#4 Georgia vs #5 Ohio St. (Peach Bowl)

#3 Texas vs #6 Miami (Cotton Bowl)

#2 Notre Dame vs #7 Texas Tech (Fiesta Bowl)

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Semifinals

#1 Oregon vs #4 Georgia (January 15, 2027 at Sugar Bowl, New Orleans, LA)

#2 Notre Dame vs #3 Texas (January 14, 2027 at Orange Bowl, Miami, FL)

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National Championship

(January 25, 2027 at Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas, NV)

#1 Oregon vs #2 Notre Dame – I can’t tell you how many times I debated these two programs, and ultimately, this matchup. I’m almost 50/50 on who will win this game, and thus, the National Championship. Either way, I think one of these programs will end their long quest to reign victorious over the rest of college football. I had to look up the history of their matchups, if any, because I couldn’t recall anything. Turns out they’ve only played twice, ever. 1976 and 1982. In ’76, they played in South Bend. ND won 41-0. They rematched in 1982 in Autzen. The game ended in a 13-13 tie. Never played again.

In 2026, both teams have incredible coaches, defenses, offenses, quarterbacks, and history. One thing I can’t get over…. Notre Dame losing both Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price to the NFL Draft. If either one had stayed, I would have picked ND to win the Title this year. Supposedly new starting RB Aneyas Williams will be awesome, but I’ll believe it when I see it. Ultimately, the “Dutch Lion” had to make a choice, and we chose Oregon to be your 2026 National Champion. Go Ducks! PS Gary “The Gut” Goombah hedged his bets and put money down on both programs to win the Title, so either way he will win something. In that case, Go Irish! Either way, we can’t lose.

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Dutch Lion’s Favorite Players

• Arch Manning/QB/Texas
• C.J. Carr/QB/Notre Dame
• Ben Roberts/LB/Texas Tech
• Anthony Colandrea/QB/Nebraska
• Rueben Owens/RB/Texas A&M
• Nate Frazier/RB/Georgia
• Gunner Stockton/QB/Georgia
• Jordan Faison/WR/Notre Dame
• Whit Weeks/LB/LSU
• Sammy Brown/LB/Clemson
• Drayk Bowen/LB/Notre Dame
• Rex Guthrie/S/Nebraska
• Mac Resetich/S/Illinois
• Vincent Shavers/LB/Nebraska
• Jordan Dwyer/WR/TCU

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The Top Rivalries in College Football

The top rivalries are what make this sport the greatest in the world. Here are my top rivalries:

1. Alabama vs Auburn (Iron Bowl) – The “Kick Six” edition of the Iron Bowl, in 2013, was so unreal I remember shouting for a long while. I still can’t believe it happened! Can you?
2. Michigan vs Ohio State (The Game) – This is probably 1A, tied with the Iron Bowl. Big Ten rivals that refer to each other as “The Team Up North” and the “Team Down South” hate each other with passion. Woody Hayes & Bo Schembechler were the coaches when it was at it’s peak, yet it remains huge, with the annual slugfest starting on Thanksgiving Saturday at 11am central time, high noon eastern time. Is anyone bitter?…. Bo is….. BITTER! The last few years have been very meaningful, fantastic games. This year’s game is at Columbus. Can the Buckeyes win a second in a row? or will the Wolverines start a new streak that ended at four consecutive victories last year in Ann Arbor?
3. Texas vs Oklahoma (Red River Rivalry) – There’s just something very special about this game, still being played in the old classic Cotton Bowl stadium in Dallas. An ideal neutral site affair.
4. Army vs Navy (America’s Game)
5. Georgia vs Florida (World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party)
6. Cal vs Stanford (The Big Game)
7. Harvard vs Yale (The Game)
8. Texas vs Texas A&M (Lone Star Showdown)
9. USC vs UCLA (Battle of L.A.)
10. Miami vs Florida St. – The 1989 version of this game might have been the loudest crowd I’ve ever heard on TV. Check it out on Youtube below. The “Big Game Voice” Ron Franklin on ESPN Saturday Night. This game gives me goosebumps. If this atmosphere doesn’t get you fired up, you’re probably not a true college ball fan.

11.Clemson vs South Carolina (Palmetto Bowl)

12. Washington vs Washington St. (Apple Cup) – Holding on for dear life, these Pacific Northwest programs are still playing, even though Washington left the Pac-8/10/12. Now they play in September in the non-conference season. In fact, they are opening up their seasons in Seattle on Sunday.

13. Alabama vs Tennessee (Third Saturday in October)

14. Notre Dame vs USC (Jeweled Shillelagh)

15. Lehigh vs Lafayette (The Rivalry)

16. BYU vs Utah (Holy War)

17. Florida St. vs Clemson (Bowden Bowl)

18. Michigan vs Michigan St. (Battle for the Paul Bunyan Trophy)

19. Florida vs Tennessee (Third Saturday in September)

20. Georgia vs Georgia Tech (Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate)

21. Alabama vs LSU

The Best Rivalries that are virtually over forever, part of a by-gone era

1. Nebraska vs Oklahoma (#1 vs #2) – Possibly the greatest college football game ever was the “Game of the Century” in 1971. So many other seasons ended with the old Big 8 rivals meeting to determine who would win the conference championship and move on to the Orange Bowl. Sure, they can play in the non-conference season for old times sake, but it’s not the same. It never will be again, unless they move to the same conference again and end their season on Thanksgiving weekend with their annual matchup, but this will likely never happen. It’s over. Sad! Imagine if we canceled the Iron Bowl or the Game? Oh, that will never happen. Never! Oh yeah???? That’s what everyone out on the Great Plains thought and then one tweak, the Big 8 becoming the Big 12 is what changed it. Then Nebraska went to the Big Ten. Then Oklahoma went to the SEC. This is why you never know.
2. Oklahoma vs Oklahoma St. (Bedlam)
3. Oregon vs Oregon St. (Civil War)
4. Pitt vs West Virginia (The Backyard Brawl)
5. Notre Dame vs Michigan
6. Nebraska vs Colorado
7. Pitt vs Penn St. (Keystone Classic)

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That’s it for this year’s Spectacular. I hope you enjoyed it. I KNOW you’ll enjoy the games.