2026 College Football Power Rankings: Which Underdog Teams Are Poised to Shake Up the Season?

On defense, Leonard Moore and Christian Gray lead a solid defense. At the end of the day, Notre Dame is almost guaranteed to be going to the playoffs. If they are in the top 12 of the College Football Playoff rankings, they get in. The schedule they have is a joke, and they will be in the top 12. Still, they will not have a ton of experience against top-quality teams heading into the playoffs.

7. Oklahoma

John Mateer is back for Oklahoma, and he is healthy. Mateer had his ups and downs last year, and a lot of downs after missing time due to a thumb injury. In the middle of the year, he struggled to throw the ball. Still, in the last two games of the year, he threw for 625 yards and four touchdowns. He also ran in a score. This was a playoff team last year and is 16th in returning production. The secondary is led by Peyton and Eli Bowen and will be solid. Meanwhile, Oklahoma has the hardest schedule in the nation. They have to visit both Michigan and Georgia in the first four weeks of the year, while also facing Texas, Florida, Ole Miss, and Texas A&M.