Football Weather

Who has the clearest path to the 2026 College Football Playoff—and which preseason favorite is most likely to fall short?

Galen Clavio and Matt Blaszka break down the new CFP rules, the biggest contenders in every major conference, and the teams best positioned to claim one of the 12 playoff spots. They discuss Notre Dame’s new top-12 guarantee, automatic bids for Power Four champions, the Big Ten’s crowded race, the SEC’s many unanswered questions, Miami’s path through the ACC, Texas Tech and BYU in the Big 12, and the Group of Six race led by Boise State and UNLV.

Plus: Akron’s viral season-ticket sweepstakes, the stalled Protect College Sports Act, and why at least one overlooked team will probably crash the playoff picture.

This episode is brought to you by Homefield Apparel. Use code HOME for 15% off your first order. Football Weather is also sponsored by Upstairs Pub in Bloomington, Indiana.

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Can Miami finish the job after reaching the national championship game—and is anyone capable of stopping Texas Tech in the Big 12? Galen Clavio and Matt Blaszka preview the ACC and Big 12 contenders, playoff paths, coaching pressure points, and the growing talent gap within college football.

The episode begins with a look at why preseason polls still matter, even when the predictions prove spectacularly wrong. Galen and Matt examine how early rankings shape perception, résumé strength, and the College Football Playoff conversation throughout the season.

From there, they break down Miami’s attempt to return to the national title game with Darian Mensah at quarterback, the questions surrounding Mario Cristobal, and whether Clemson, Louisville, SMU or Florida State can emerge as a legitimate ACC challenger. They also debut the Football Weather Power Four Hot Seat Board and examine the pressure surrounding Mike Norvell and other coaches.

In the Big 12, Texas Tech enters as the clear favorite despite the Brendan Sorsby situation and uncertainty surrounding new starting quarterback Will Hammond. Could BYU, Houston, Utah or another contender disrupt the Red Raiders’ path? And should losing a conference championship game affect a team’s playoff standing?

The show closes with breaking news that Notre Dame and USC will renew their rivalry beginning in 2030, replacing Notre Dame’s scheduled series with Indiana—and a larger debate about why college football’s approach to nonconference scheduling no longer makes sense.

Check out the Football Weather 2026 Power Conference Hot Seat Board!

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Galen and Matt preview a remarkably uncertain 2026 SEC season. They discuss the league’s complaints about its new nine-game schedule, its recent struggles against the Big Ten, and the growing pressure surrounding several prominent coaches.

The conversation covers Pete Golding’s challenge at Ole Miss, Kalen DeBoer’s position at Alabama, Steve Sarkisian’s expectations at Texas, potential surprise seasons from Florida and Tennessee, and the schedules that could determine the SEC Championship race. They finish by selecting their playoff teams and debating how many bids the SEC can earn against a deep group of Big Ten contenders.

Sam from College Football with Sam joins Galen and Matt for a wide-ranging preseason mailbag. They discuss the SEC’s reaction to its nine-game schedule, whether a 9–3 team could reach the playoff, and why the Big Ten may have the more compelling championship race.

The conversation also turns to the pressure surrounding Steve Sarkisian and Texas, USC’s potential breakthrough under Lincoln Riley, the message Big Ten coaches could deliver at Media Days, and the ACC’s bewildering new tiebreaker system.

On our first Big Questions podcast of the season, we tackle the conference that has won three national titles on the trot. 🏆

Can the Big Ten place four (or more) teams in the College Football Playoff—and can Indiana repeat as conference champion? Galen Clavio and Matt Blaszka launch Football Weather’s 2026 Big Questions series with a wide-ranging look at the Big Ten’s contenders, pressure points and potential surprise teams.

They examine why the conference may be deeper than it has been in years, how SEC-versus-Big Ten perception continues to shape the playoff conversation, and which coaches have the most to prove this season.The discussion includes Pat Fitzgerald’s return at Michigan State, Jedd Fisch’s opportunity to elevate Washington, Lincoln Riley’s pivotal season at USC, Ryan Day’s difficult Ohio State schedule and the championship expectations surrounding Dan Lanning and Oregon.

The episode closes with Northwestern and Wisconsin as potential surprise teams, followed by Big Ten championship picks, projected CFP representation and bold predictions involving Penn State, Dante Moore, Illinois and Kirk Ferentz.

Subscribe to Football Weather for more 2026 college football conference previews, analysis and predictions.

College football may have just hit a major crossroads.This week on Football Weather, Galen Clavio and Matt Blaszka break down the resolution of the Brendan Sorsby eligibility and gambling controversy, what the outcome means for NCAA enforcement, and why this case could have ramifications far beyond a single player or program.The guys talk through the Big 12's response to Texas Tech and the state of Texas, the surprise news that Sorsby has now put his name in for the NFL Supplemental Draft, and the aftermath of the the saga that has gripped the college sports landscape for the last few weeks. We also answer listener questions about the dormant commerce clause, the troubling implications of readily available sports wagering, and the question of whether the resolution of this situation would apply to other NCAA rules situations.🎙️ Presented by Homefield Apparel — use code HOME23 for 15% off your first order.👉 Subscribe for weekly national college football analysis, playoff discussion, and offseason coverage.

Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby’s injunction against the NCAA has turned a gambling suspension into one of the biggest college football governance stories of 2026.Galen Clavio and Matt Blaszka break down the ruling, why Sorsby’s gambling history has created such an intense backlash, and what it says about the NCAA’s inability to enforce its own rulebook.

They also discuss Texas Tech’s self-interest, possible Big Ten, SEC and Big 12 reactions, the limits of congressional fixes, and why college football may keep running into these problems without a real collective bargaining structure.

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Galen Clavio and Matt Blaszka open with Indiana’s surreal role in the College Football 27 reveal, including Curt Cignetti’s national spotlight and what it says about the Hoosiers’ rise.

Then it’s a full 2026 college football preview built around the games that may matter more than people realize right now. USC’s brutal Big Ten stretch, Penn State’s schedule, Miami-Clemson, BYU-TCU, Alabama-Tennessee, Texas A&M’s SEC gauntlet, Ohio State’s road traps, Notre Dame’s path, and the early national title picture all get time as Football Weather starts mapping out the season ahead.

Galen Clavio and Matt Blaszka dive into one of the most consequential weeks yet for the future of college football. The new Protect College Sports Act has brought NIL regulation, transfer limits, media-rights pooling, athlete compensation, and the future power of the SEC and Big Ten into one messy national debate.

This episode breaks down what the bill is trying to do, why so many major players already have concerns, how the College Sports Commission is affecting promised NIL payments, and why the biggest conferences may be looking for a way to govern themselves. It’s a Football Weather / CrimsonCast crossover for anyone trying to understand where college football might be headed next.

The College Football Playoff expansion debate is heating up, and the SEC–Big Ten power struggle may be only part of the bigger story. On this episode of Football Weather, Galen Clavio and Matt Blaszka break down what Greg Sankey, Tony Petitti, the College Sports Commission, NIL enforcement, and player pay disputes could mean for the future of college football.

From 16-team vs. 24-team playoff models to the future of conference championship games, the guys talk through why the SEC may be resisting rapid expansion, why the Big Ten is exploring a different path, and whether college football is drifting toward a full breakaway — or even a Big Ten/SEC split. They also dig into NIL cap circumvention, unapproved player payments, the limits of federal legislation, and why collective bargaining may be the only stable way forward.

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