College football fans have something to chew on: Zak Herbstreit from On3 dropped his picks for the 12-team College Football Playoff (CFP) field and his guess at the 2026 national champs. Herbstreit’s forecast spotlights who he thinks will shake up the season and breaks down the matchups that could decide it all.
It’s a pretty deep dive, and if you’re already itching for surprises or drama, this early look at 2026 might scratch that itch.
Top 12 Teams Predicted for the 2026 College Football Playoff
Herbstreit’s top 12 is a mix of the usual suspects and a few teams that might turn some heads. The first three slots? No shockers there, but there are a couple of wild cards lurking further down.
- 1. Georgia
- 2. Oregon
- 3. Miami
- 4. Oklahoma
- 5. Ohio State
- 6. Notre Dame
- 7. Indiana
- 8. BYU
- 9. Texas
- 10. Alabama
- 11. USC
- 12. Boise State
Georgia, Oregon, and Miami are set up to run the show, with Miami still chasing that elusive title after coming so close before. Oklahoma, even as SEC runner-ups, grabs a first-round bye.
Ohio State, Notre Dame, and Indiana are all in the mix, with Indiana making their third playoff in a row—who saw that coming? BYU, Texas, Alabama, USC, and Boise State fill out the rest, teasing some matchups that could get weird fast.
First Round Matchups
The first round’s shaping up to be pure chaos, if Herbstreit’s right. He’s got three of the four home teams moving on.
- No. 5 Ohio State over No. 12 Boise State
- No. 6 Notre Dame over No. 11 USC
- No. 7 Indiana over No. 10 Alabama
- No. 9 Texas over No. 8 BYU
Ohio State’s supposed to handle Boise State without much trouble. Notre Dame gets another shot at USC and is expected to take it.
Indiana squeaking past Alabama? That’s one to watch—could this be another sign that Bama’s reign is slipping? And Texas, with Arch Manning at the helm, is the only road team Herbstreit’s picking, knocking off BYU in Provo.
Quarterfinal Showdowns
The quarterfinals crank up the intensity. Some of these matchups could go either way, honestly.
- No. 9 Texas over No. 1 Georgia (Peach Bowl)
- No. 5 Ohio State over No. 4 Oklahoma (Fiesta Bowl)
- No. 2 Oregon over No. 7 Indiana (Rose Bowl)
- No. 3 Miami over No. 6 Notre Dame (Cotton Bowl)
Texas is riding the Cinderella storyline, supposedly knocking off Georgia in Atlanta—imagine that. Ohio State is picked to edge out Oklahoma, and once again, those first-round byes aren’t looking like much of an advantage.
Oregon gets its shot at Indiana and is expected to take care of business this time. Miami, meanwhile, is set to send Notre Dame packing again and punch their ticket to the semis.
Semifinal Clashes
Now we’re down to the wire. The semifinal pairings? They’re about as juicy as it gets.
- No. 9 Texas over No. 5 Ohio State (Orange Bowl)
- No. 3 Miami over No. 2 Oregon (Sugar Bowl)
Texas and Ohio State will square off in the Orange Bowl, and Herbstreit thinks Texas finally gets back to the big game—something they haven’t done since 2010. Miami’s supposed to take out Oregon in the Sugar Bowl, sending the Ducks home disappointed again and putting the Hurricanes in their second straight title game.
National Championship Prediction
The grand finale of the 2026 College Football Playoff? Looks like it’s shaping up to be Texas versus Miami.
Herbstreit’s got Miami coming out on top, finally snapping their championship drought since 2001.
He thinks Darian Mensah will be the difference-maker, outplaying Arch Manning in what’s supposed to be a wild, nail-biting matchup.
Texas fans might be in for another round of heartbreak, still chasing that elusive national title after all these years.
Want to dig into Herbstreit’s full lineup of predictions and maybe get a sense of what’s coming? You can check out the details at On3.
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