College football 2026: Big Ten goes for 4th straight national championship. Is it Oregon's turn?

For all the angst over skyrocketing amounts of money paid to college athletes, courtroom battles over player eligibility and debate about the number of teams in the playoff, the biggest on-the-field storyline this football season is whether the Big Ten can win a fourth consecutive national championship for the first time in the poll era.

The Big Ten has, at a minimum, encroached on the Southeastern Conference's longtime claim of being the premier football league. The run started with Michigan's 2023 title, only the Big Ten's second since the turn of the century, and continued with Ohio State's in 2024. Then Indiana in 2025 completed its magical ascent from leader in all-time losses to national champion.

Now Oregon, with star quarterback Dante Moore and an impressive list of returning starters and incoming transfers, is creating buzz as next in line.

“Nobody’s going to have higher expectations for our team than us,” coach Dan Lanning said. “We’re the guys in the building doing the work every single day. Certainly really proud of the team and the work they’ve put in. We have high expectations. We’ve got a lot that we want to accomplish. Having players like that only helps you.”

A fourth straight Big Ten title would match the SEC's streak from 2019-22 but still trail the SEC's record of seven in a row from 2006-12.

Ohio State brings back Heisman Trophy finalist Julian Sayin at quarterback and generational talent Jeremiah Smith at wide receiver and will enter the season No. 1 in The Associated Press Top 25 ahead of No. 2 Oregon. The defending champion Hoosiers start at No. 6 after losing Heisman-winning quarterback and top NFL draft pick Fernando Mendoza.

The SEC, which hasn't put a team in the national championship game since 2022 when Georgia won the second of two straight titles, holds down five of the top 10 spots in the preseason poll.

No. 3 Georgia returns quarterback Gunner Stockton and will go for its fourth SEC title in five years. No. 5 Texas is well positioned to make a run with Arch Manning, who will throw to a preseason AP All-American in Auburn transfer Cam Coleman.

No. 4 Notre Dame hasn't won a national title since 1988 but played in the championship game two years ago. The Fighting Irish are a contender again after being left out of the College Football Playoff following a season-ending 10-game win streak.

No. 7 Miami is the standard bearer for the Atlantic Coast Conference. The Hurricanes, who lost to Indiana in the national championship game, are coming off back-to-back 10-win seasons and have one of the sport's best all-around players in Malachi Toney.

Notre Dame's CJ Carr and Texas' Manning are the co-favorites to win the Heisman Trophy, according to sportsbooks.

Carr's 24 touchdown passes tied for most by a Notre Dame quarterback through 12 career starts since 1966, and he has a chance to put up big numbers against a schedule that includes only four opponents that had winning records last season.

Manning was the betting favorite entering 2025 as well. That was until he struggled in a season-opening loss to Ohio State and fell out of contention altogether after a brutal loss to Florida. The Longhorns have helped Manning by bringing in Coleman and upgrading their running backs.

Mississippi's Trinidad Chambliss is back after winning another year of eligibility through litigation. Oregon's Moore is surrounded by talent, and Duke transfer Darian Mensah is an upgrade at quarterback for Miami.

Ohio State's Sayin, the most accurate passer in the country, can be a finalist again, or winner, if he keeps the Buckeyes on the rails. His teammate, Smith, is the only non-quarterback in the top tier of candidates.

There were 34 FBS coaching changes, and none will be more closely watched than Lane Kiffin's move from Mississippi to LSU.

Time is not on Kiffin's side, not with a player payroll reportedly exceeding $40 million and a rabid fan base frustrated by two underachieving seasons. Arizona State transfer QB Sam Leavitt is surrounded by talent, but the No. 11 Tigers' schedule is extremely demanding.

In the Big Ten, Kyle Whittingham takes over at No. 16 Michigan and Matt Campbell at No. 18 Penn State. The 66-year-old Whittingham's surprise move came after 23 seasons at Utah and his charge, along with winning, is to polish the program's tarnished image. The question for Campbell is whether a team built around many of his Big 12-seasoned players from Iowa State can hold their own against the heavies of the Big Ten.

Among coaches who moved into power-conference jobs are Jon Sumrall (Tulane to Florida), Bob Chesney (James Madison to UCLA) and Alex Golesh (South Florida to Auburn).

This isn’t your father’s Pac-12 or, for that matter, even yours.

The conference has gone through a rebirth two years after realignment left only Oregon State and Washington State. Commissioner Teresa Gould did some poaching of her own to get the Pac-12 to the eight football teams required for Group of Six, and playoff-eligible, status.

Oregon State and Washington State are joined by former Mountain West members Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, San Diego State and Utah State along with former Sun Belt Conference member Texas State.

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