Which of these teams is a real College Football Playoff contender in 2026?

About this episode

The episode analyzes potential College Football Playoff contenders for the 2026 season, focusing on teams with both strengths and weaknesses.

The 2026 college football season is getting closer, and this batch of power-rated teams has some massive betting and playoff questions. BYU, Utah, Iowa, Texas Tech, and Washington all have real upside — but every one of them has a major flaw that could change the season. On today’s Winning Cures Everything college football preview, we break down teams ranked #20 through #16 in my 2026 preseason power ratings. BYU is no longer a cute Big 12 surprise story with Bear Bachmeier and LJ Martin returning, but defensive coordinator turnover and a tough road schedule could make things tricky. Utah enters the Morgan Scalley era after Kyle Whittingham’s departure, with a rebuilt offensive line and a schedule that still gives the Utes a real Big 12 title path. We also dig into Iowa’s massive reload under Kirk Ferentz, including quarterback questions, offensive line turnover, Phil Parker’s defense, and whether the Hawkeyes can still win ugly. Texas Tech may have the Big 12’s best roster, but Brendan Sorsby’s eligibility situation and defensive losses create one of the biggest storylines in the conference. Finally, Washington has a star quarterback in Demond Williams Jr., but the Huskies still…

People in this episode

Host: Winning Cures Everything

Topics covered

• College Football
• 2026 Season Preview
• Playoff Contenders
• Team Analysis
• Betting Insights
• Power Ratings

Keywords

• College Football
• 2026 Playoff Contenders
• Team Analysis
• Betting Predictions
• Power Ratings

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: BYU, Utah, Iowa, Texas Tech, Washington, Big 12, Big Ten

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