The College Football Playoff field is officially set with a bracket full of heavyweights. While the seeding placed the Big Ten champion at the very top, those within the sport see a different outcome on the horizon.

An anonymous poll conducted by The Athletic surveyed coaches from the Power 4 and Group of 5 conferences to gauge their expectations. The results showed that 50 percent of the coaches believe one program will hoist the trophy in Miami, edging out a season-long favorite that carried 42 percent of the vote.

This program received the majority vote despite spending most of the regular season outside the top five of the rankings. They finished ahead of the team that spent most of the season ranked No. 1 in the major polls.

The remaining ballots were split evenly between the No. 1 seed and another Big Ten team. Each of those programs received four percent of the total tally.

The confidence in the projected winner stems from a strong finish to the regular season. This team just avenged its only loss of the year with a dominant performance in the conference championship game.

Coaches cite roster maturity and championship pedigree as the decisive factors. The voting data suggest that individuals who scheme against these teams weekly value recent momentum over final seeding.

Coaches pick SEC powerhouse to win national title

The Georgia Bulldogs are the heavy favorite among the coaching fraternity. Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart has his team positioned for a run at a third title in five years after decimating the Alabama Crimson Tide 28-7 to win the SEC. The poll reflects a belief that Georgia is peaking at the exact right moment.

One Group of 5 head coach noted that the current field lacks a truly dominant force compared to previous years. However, this coach highlighted the growth in Athens as the difference.

“Georgia’s O-line has matured, so that team has taken a jump,” the coach said. “The QB is a winner. Defensively, Georgia can play big and can match up. They are really good and they are battle-tested.”

That quarterback is Gunner Stockton. He has added a new dimension to the offense with his legs. Stockton has rushed for 442 yards this season. This is significantly more production on the ground than previous championship quarterbacks produced for the program. The offense also benefits from the late-season surge of running back Nate Frazier. He rushed for 181 yards against Mississippi State and has solidified the ground attack.

The defense has also returned to form under defensive coordinator Glenn Schumann. The unit recorded 12 sacks in the final five games of the season. An SEC defensive coordinator praised the team’s tactical efficiency.

“They look the cleanest,” the coordinator said. “They have been getting better as the season has gone on. They are going to stop the run and find your weaknesses. And they are good at using them against you.”

The primary challenger in the poll was the Ohio State Buckeyes. They spent most of the year at No. 1 before a loss to the Indiana Hoosiers. A Big Ten offensive assistant coach picked the Buckeyes because of their elite personnel on the outside.

“Ohio State. Georgia seems flawed,” the assistant said. “I know Indiana just beat them but I don’t think they can beat them twice. Ohio State was pretty banged up in that game. The wideouts will be healthier. On defense, Ohio State is really sound with great players.”

The Georgia Bulldogs will begin their pursuit of a third title in five years when they face the winner of the Ole Miss Rebels and Tulane Green Wave in the Sugar Bowl on Jan. 1.

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The College Football Playoff hasn’t quite started, but the transfer portal is heating up. The last week has seen some intriguing QB prospects make the portal dive. Here’s a rundown of the top five portal prospects (from On3.com’s rankings) and a quick thought on potential destinations for each.

Sam Leavitt, Arizona State QB

Leavitt remains On3’s top-ranked player in the portal. In 2024, he helped Arizona State reach the College Football Playoff by passing for 2,885 yards and 24 touchdowns and rushing for 443 yards and five more scores. His 2025 season was cut short by an injury in October, but in the portion of the year he could play, Leavitt passed for 1,628 yards and 10 scores in just seven games.

A week ago, we mentioned Indiana and LSU as possible destinations for Leavitt. Recent reports have confirmed both of those possibilities, with Oregon and Miami also mentioned. Of the four, it’s LSU that seems to have the dance card that’s filling up the quickest, with Trinidad Chambliss a potential nab for Lane Kiffin. Indiana and Oregon might now be the two most logical picks.

Dylan Raiola, Nebraska QB

Raiola was a five-star recruit for Matt Rhule, but after two up-and-down seasons, is looking to move on. He has passed for 4,819 yards and 31 touchdowns against 17 interceptions. Raiola showed improvement in 2025, throwing for 18 scores and six picks, but his season was shut down early due to injury.

Raiola has been tied to Louisville early in the process, as the Cardinals look to replace Miller Moss. Miami is another school frequently mentioned in conjunction with Raiola, as the Hurricanes look to replace Carson Beck, likely with a portal addition.

Brendan Sorsby, Cincinnati QB

Sorsby headed to Cincinnati from Indiana, leaving that program just before IU’s fortunes jumped. He has played well at Cincinnati, throwing for over 5,600 yards in the past two seasons with 45 touchdowns to 12 interceptions. Sorsby also rushed for over 1,000 yards and 18 scores over the past two seasons.

Early talk has linked Sorsby extensively with Texas Tech. No announcement has been made, but early indications are that he’s the likely successor to Behren Morton, and it’ll be a surprise if he ends up elsewhere.

DJ Lagway, Florida QB

A talented Florida passer, Lagway struggled with consistency in two up-and-down seasons as a Gator, ending up with over 4,100 yards and 28 touchdowns to 23 interceptions. His arm strength was legendary, but he often stacked bad decisions into some awful performances.

Lagway has been connected to Baylor early. His father played for the school, and it’s near his hometown. Another possibility is Clemson, where Lagway was recruited extensively and the Tigers could use a replacement for Cade Klubnik.

Drew Mestemaker, North Texas QB

Mestemaker exploded from out of nowhere. From being a high school backup to walking on at North Texas to becoming QB1 in 2025, he has always suprised. The redshirt freshman passed for 4,129 yards and 31 touchdowns this season.

Mestemaker might well follow his North Texas coach, Eric Morris, to Oklahoma State. A longer-shot possibility might be Tennessee, where Joey Aguilar will have to be replaced.

The Transfer Portal has yet to open, but there are already players announcing they’ll be entering. Oftentimes, that’s as coaches tamper with other rosters and offer improved NIL or revenue-sharing deals. Now, Tennessee Volunteers athletic director Danny White believes he has a solution.

White took to Twitter on Wednesday. There, he quoted a post from Dan Wolken of Yahoo Sports, saying, “Everyone in college sports knows the solution, they just don’t have the stomach (yet) to execute it.” Wolken himself was responding to a complaint from Missouri head coach Eli Drinkwitz regarding tampering. That solution, which White wanted to highlight, is collective bargaining with the players.

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This,” Danny White wrote. “There is a pathway to build a much healthier environment for college athletics within the current laws of our country – it’s called collective bargaining. It will be complicated, hard, and likely not perfect, but it’s far past time that we roll up our sleeves and do the work.”

Collective bargaining is relatively common in the United States and in professional sports. In essence, it’s when representatives, usually a union, negotiate on behalf of a group of employees with the employer. They do so to come up with legally binding agreements on contracts, wages, hours, working conditions, and other considerations.

This would be a seismic shift for college sports because of the reality that collective bargaining fundamentally involves employees. That’s a status that colleges and the NCAA have been very tentative to give to student-athletes.

There are a few benefits to collective bargaining. In particular, as the NCAA has lost court battles, forcing it to allow things like NIL and unlimited transfers, this would be a legal agreement that would set some rules in stone. For instance, the maximum that a program spends, how often players can transfer, and multi-year contracts could all be negotiated.

Danny White is far from the only one who has suggested that collective bargaining could help college sports and tampering, in particular. When the Transfer Portal was cut down to one window, former player Chase Daniel called it smart and called for collective bargaining. ESPN’s Rece Davis did the same, calling for collective bargaining to end tampering.

Separately, 23 different Power Four GMs backed collective bargaining in a closed-door Athletes.org meeting in August. That group, which didn’t have any names attached, “agreed in unison” that it would be the best path forward for college sports.

For his part, Danny White has been out in the open, pushing for major changes in college sports before. In the past, he’s shared a proposal to establish a national organization to employ and unionize athletes. Of course, those changes still appear to be a long way away.

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark says legislation currently stalled in Congress is needed to regulate college athletics and put a stop to what he essentially calls uncapped spending for name, image and likeness in football.

“Let me be clear about this,” Yormark said Saturday before the Big 12 championship game between No. 5 Texas Tech and 11th-ranked BYU at the home of the Dallas Cowboys. “The House of Representatives must do what is right for over 500,000 student-athletes and pass the SCORE Act. We must protect their future, their well-being and their fair treatment. They deserve action and not excuses.”

An effort backed by the NCAA, the U.S. Olympic organization and the White House faltered in Congress this past week, with opponents raising concerns over the wide-reaching power it gives the governing body of college sports and its most powerful programs.

The NCAA and Division I conferences portray the legislation as codifying the rules created by the multibillion-dollar lawsuit settlement that allows college players to be paid, providing clarity that supporters say is long-needed.

House Republican leaders had planned to push the bill to a final vote this past week. But those plans were abruptly scrapped after a procedural vote to advance the bill nearly failed.

Yormark said he supports the revenue-sharing model that is part of the settlement and agrees with those who believe NIL spending on top of the $20.5 million could be destabilizing for college sports.

UCF coach Scott Frost said on national signing day this week he thinks college football is “broken” because of unregulated spending on players.

In 2017, Frost led the Golden Knights to a 13-0 record without a bid in the College Football Playoff, which included four teams at the time, before getting fired in the middle of a fifth unsuccessful season at Nebraska, his alma mater. UCF, which was in the American Conference for Frost’s first stint but has since joined the Big 12, went 5-7 in his return this year.

“I will be spending time with the commissioners next week on some of the challenges and issues that face collegiate athletics, and we’re working through them,” Yormark said. “But I want you to understand that nothing’s broken in this system. And I respect Scott. But nothing’s broken. It’s all about progress, not perfection. There is no perfection in any industry, but there is progress, and we’re making great progress.”

Yormark is ready for 16-team playoff

Yormark said he believes in the playoff model with five automatic bids, even if it might cost the Big 12 a second team this season. That scenario also fits his opinion that the CFP needs to be 16 teams — with 11 at-large bids — instead of the current 12.

“I believe that on a percentage basis, when there’s 136 FBS (bowl subdivision) schools, the number 12 is too low,” Yormark said. “We need more access for all the right reasons. And I’m very consistent about that.”

Yormark indicated he doesn’t think the playoff will expand for 2026, even with an extra eight weeks to try to reach an agreement. The new deadline is Jan. 23.

“I can tell you we’re working on it, but we can’t rush it,” Yormark said. “A lot goes into it. It’s not just about picking a number. You also have to look through a filter and say what are the unintended consequences of those decisions, which is what the commissioners and myself are working on. I’m not overly optimistic we’re going to be able to change anything for next year. But we’re in the lab.”

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Collins, a 6-foot-8, 200-pound forward from Bellflower, California, is widely regarded as one of the premier frontcourt prospects in the country. His blend of athleticism, scoring ability, and defensive versatility made him a major priority for Kentucky head coach Mark Pope and his staff as they work to build future recruiting classes.

According to Jacob Polacheck of KSR, Collins’ recruitment is being heavily influenced by NIL structure and contract details, a growing trend at the top of the recruiting landscape. That reality was addressed publicly earlier this month by Kentucky athletic director Mitch Barnhart during Will Stein’s introductory press conference as the Wildcats’ new football head coach.

Barnhart pushed back strongly against the perception that Kentucky is at an NIL disadvantage, saying, “Enough about ‘have we got enough?’ We’ve got enough.” He also emphasized that Kentucky will not compromise its standards to land recruits. “We’ve got to do it the right way,” Barnhart said. “We’re not going to break the rules. That’s flat-out.”

While Kentucky no longer holds a crystal ball prediction for Collins, the Wildcats are not out of the race. However, his recruitment now appears far more fluid, underscoring the increasingly complex balance between elite talent, NIL expectations, and long-term program philosophy in modern college basketball.

Kentucky Basketball suffered a notable recruiting setback this week as 247 Sports national analyst Travis Branham removed his crystal ball prediction for the Wildcats to land class of 2026 5-star power forward Christian Collins. Branham originally placed the prediction in early November, fueling optimism that Collins could commit to Kentucky as the early national signing period approached. That announcement never came, and momentum has since cooled.

Collins, a 6-foot-8, 200-pound forward from Bellflower, California, is widely regarded as one of the premier frontcourt prospects in the country. His blend of athleticism, scoring ability, and defensive versatility made him a major priority for Kentucky head coach Mark Pope and his staff as they work to build future recruiting classes.

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According to Jacob Polacheck of KSR, Collins’ recruitment is being heavily influenced by NIL structure and contract details, a growing trend at the top of the recruiting landscape. That reality was addressed publicly earlier this month by Kentucky athletic director Mitch Barnhart during Will Stein’s introductory press conference as the Wildcats’ new football head coach.

Barnhart pushed back strongly against the perception that Kentucky is at an NIL disadvantage, saying, “Enough about ‘have we got enough?’ We’ve got enough.” He also emphasized that Kentucky will not compromise its standards to land recruits. “We’ve got to do it the right way,” Barnhart said. “We’re not going to break the rules. That’s flat-out.”

While Kentucky no longer holds a crystal ball prediction for Collins, the Wildcats are not out of the race. However, his recruitment now appears far more fluid, underscoring the increasingly complex balance between elite talent, NIL expectations, and long-term program philosophy in modern college basketball.