The 12-team College Football Playoff kicks off its 2nd season on Friday night when Alabama visits Oklahoma. The 12-team College Football Playoff has only four teams returning who made it last season. Ohio State, Indiana, Oregon, and Georgia are the only four teams that made each of the two seasons.
This season, we will have 8 new teams making it to the 12-team playoff for the 1st time. This includes traditional blue blood programs like Alabama and Oklahoma, as well as Sun Belt Champion James Madison. Therefore, if this holds, we could potentially have 8 new teams next season as well.
These 5 teams should reach the Playoff in 2026
Notre Dame was the last team out in this year's College Football Playoff, so they are a logical choice to start with. Notre Dame will lose a ton of players off last year's team, including superstar running back Jeremiyah Love. Still, Marcus Freeman has recruited well since he took over. Plus, quarterback CJ Carr is returning next season, one of the best quarterbacks in the country after gaining experience this season.
If Texas hadn’t lost to Ohio State in week one, it would probably be in the College Football Playoffs. They struggled at times throughout the season, losing to a bad Florida team and struggling against Kentucky and Mississippi State in wins. Next season, quarterback Arch Manning should be better, along with the offensive line and the wide receivers. Texas should be an improved team next season.
Lane Kiffin built a playoff-caliber roster at Ole Miss, and it's impossible not to expect him to do the same thing at LSU. LSU has a lot more resources than Ole Miss. Kiffin should be able to build a program quickly. He should especially be able to get a starting quarterback to transfer in next season. LSU should be an improved team next season.
Kelani Sitake has built a good program at BYU. His team has gotten close to the 12-team mark in the last two seasons. Bear Bachmeier now has experience, and you can expect that with another strong season, his team will have a good chance at making the College Football Playoff next season. Sitake’s teams always seem to reload and are a consistent program in the Big 12.
Lincoln Riley has been a disappointing hire since he arrived at USC. Last year, they took a positive step, winning 9 games and signing the top-ranked 2026 recruiting class. With the return of starting quarterback Jayden Maiava, they have a chance to continue their success on offense. I expect Riley’s team will be in the 9–10-win range again next year, which should give them a chance to make the playoffs.