College football analysts provide preseason national championship predictions

The 2026 college football season begins its full schedule this weekend following a limited slate of opening games. To mark the start of the season, On3 gathered preseason national championship predictions from 57 college football analysts. The initiative serves to summarize the consensus expectations across the media as the competitive schedule officially commences. While the initial Week 0 games allowed for a brief look at teams, the upcoming weekend marks the first major push of the regular season. These predictions reflect the current analytical outlook for the year ahead. Teams are now shifting focus from preseason evaluations to the active season, where performance will eventually dictate the postseason field.

• 2:54 AMOn3.com — College football media predict 2026 national champion - On3