ESPN's Bill Connelly Joins! 2026 SP+ Rankings, Returning Production, & Portal Hauls
About this episode
Tim Murray interviews Bill Connelly about the analytics influencing the 2026 college football season, focusing on returning production and transfer portal impacts.
The offseason grind rolls on as host Tim Murray welcomes ESPN’s Bill Connelly—creator of the influential SP+ rating system—for a deep dive into the analytics shaping the 2026 college football season. From returning production trends in a transfer portal era to early SP+ rankings, this episode breaks down how bettors can gain an edge before kickoff. The conversation explores Notre Dame’s surprising lead in returning production, how to properly weigh roster continuity, and which teams may be over- or undervalued in early futures markets. Plus, Bill shares insights on the biggest transfer portal winners, potential regression candidates, and how luck metrics and close-game results could signal breakout teams this fall. If you're betting win totals, futures, or just want a sharper analytical perspective on college football, this episode is packed with actionable intel.
People in this episode
Host: Tim Murray
Guest: Bill Connelly
Topics covered
- college football analytics
- 2026 SP+ rankings
- transfer portal
- returning production
- betting strategies
- futures markets
Keywords
- college football
- SP+ rankings
- betting
- transfer portal
- returning production
- futures
- analytics
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: ESPN
Books & works: SP+
Places: Notre Dame
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