Texas, Georgia are top national championship contenders from SEC.
Big Ten contenders start with Ohio State, Indiana but don’t end there.
Looking for a sleeper pick? Try USC Trojans or longshot Utah.
Can the SEC put an end to Big Ten football’s national championship streak? That quest begins with four SEC teams, although you could make a compelling case Miami of the ACC is the most dangerous threat in 2026 to the Big Ten’s string of dominance.
The SEC runs deeper than either the ACC or the Big 12, though, so it remains the biggest threat to the Big Ten’s throne. And, yes, it is the Big Ten’s throne now. No escaping that reality anymore, unless your head is buried deep, deep in the sand in the Deep South.
On this edition of “SEC Football Unfiltered,” a podcast from the USA TODAY Network, hosts Blake Toppmeyer and John Adams go head-to-head drafting their top six national championship contenders.
Adams gets the No. 1 pick in their draft, which unfolds in snake-draft fashion. Each team may only be picked once. In other words, once a team is off the board, it cannot be picked by the other host.
In the end, four SEC teams come off the board, plus four from the Big Ten, while each host builds out his six-team roster in search of the 2026 national champion.
Drafting 2026 college football national championship contenders
∎ Adams’ first pick: Texas. The Longhorns cleaned up in the portal, and Arch Manning finished the season looking more like the quarterback we expected him to be all along.
∎ Toppmeyer’s first pick: Ohio State. The Buckeyes always produce one of the nation’s most-talented rosters. The schedule is tough, but Julian Sayin, Jeremiah Smith and Bo Jackson are a good start toward a third straight playoff bid.
∎ Toppmeyer’s second pick: Notre Dame. With CJ Carr back as starting quarterback and another accommodating schedule, the Irish are pointed toward the playoff.
∎ Adams’ second pick: Miami. Mark Fletcher and Malachi Toney return as offensive linchpins, and Darian Mensah could be a quarterback upgrade.
∎ Adams’ third pick: LSU. Lane Kiffin’s done it again, with another tremendous transfer class, and he’s proven he knows how to assemble a roster full of fresh faces.
∎ Toppmeyer’s third pick: Georgia. I’d like Georgia even more if it had done more in the portal. Even as is, Georgia is probably the SEC’s best-positioned team for a playoff bid, with only a few major landmines on the schedule.
∎ Toppmeyer’s fourth pick: Indiana. Several key departures, but Josh Hoover should keep Curt Cignetti’s assembly line of good transfer quarterbacks rolling. He’s part of a good portal class.
∎ Adams’ fourth pick: Texas Tech. Mega booster Cody Campbell promised to “double down” after Texas Tech’s CFP quarterfinal exit. When a billionaire doubles down, I buy in. The Red Raiders spent big for quarterback Brendan Sorsby.
∎ Adams’ fifth pick: Oregon. The Ducks’ script the past two years: Look really good until folding in the playoff against the eventual national champion. Will they fold again in January 2027? Maybe, but they’re the best bet at this stage of the draft.
∎ Toppmeyer’s fifth pick: Texas A&M. A tough schedule makes me wonder if the Aggies are ripe for win-loss regression. But, when a playoff team returns its quarterback, it can’t be ignored at this stage. The Aggies need their transfer class to hit to offset notable losses.
∎ Toppmeyer’s sixth pick: Southern Cal. Trusting a Lincoln Riley defense is a fool’s errand, even after the hire of TCU legend Gary Patterson as defensive coordinator. Quarterback Jayden Maiava should keep the completions and the points coming, at least.
∎ Adams’ sixth pick: Utah. How’s this for a shot in the dark? Am I bold or just crazy? Before you answer that, consider how well quarterback Devon Dampier played in the final few games of last season.
Also considered: Mississippi, Alabama.
Eyeing college football’s next champ? Start here
Adams’ roster of national champion picks: Texas, Miami, LSU, Texas Tech, Oregon, Utah
Toppmeyer’s thoughts on Adams’ lineup: I wanted Miami with my No. 3 pick. Alas. That one stings.
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Toppmeyer’s roster of national champion picks: Ohio State, Notre Dame, Georgia, Indiana, Texas A&M, USC.
Adams’ thoughts on Toppmeyer’s lineup: You’re heavy on the Big Ten. If the B1G’s streak continues, that’s trouble for my team, unless Oregon saves the day.
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Blake Toppmeyer is the USA TODAY Network’s national college football columnist. John Adams is the senior sports columnist for the Knoxville News Sentinel. Subscribe to the SEC Football Unfiltered podcast, and check out the SEC Unfiltered newsletter, delivered straight to your inbox.