The college football offseason, with all its courtroom drama and endless talk, is finally done. And seriously, not a moment too soon, right? After Indiana’s insane run to the national championship last season, this sport feels more wide open than ever before. We’re talking six different teams rocking +900 odds or better to hoist that trophy, and the experts themselves can’t agree, picking five different teams to win it all. You know who’s got to be hungry? Teams like Oregon, Notre Dame, and Texas, who’ve been knocking on the door. But not everyone is looking so hot, especially two teams the pros just tagged as “most overrated.”
Texas A&M’s 10-0 Dream Died a Horrible Death
Remember Texas A&M last year? A dream start, rolling at a perfect 10-0. Then, boom, it all crashed down. They lost at home to in-state rival Texas, then got bounced from the first-round playoff by Miami. Ouch. Now, Coach Mike Elko is staring down a massive rebuild. He had to replace *both* his offensive coordinator, Collin Klein, and his defensive coordinator, Jay Bateman. And get this: a program-best 10 NFL Draft picks from last year’s squad are gone. That’s a huge hole to fill! The No. 8 Aggies do get No. 5 Texas at home this season, which is massive, but their other three highest-ranked opponents, No. 10 Oklahoma, No. 11 LSU, and No. 13 Alabama, all come on the road. John Talty, along with Tom Fornelli, Richard Johnson, Brad Crawford, and Chris Hummer, all agree: A&M could still be good, but they are absolutely the top-10 team most likely to fall out of that elite group.
LSU’s Transfer Class Hype Is Looking Sketchy
Then there’s LSU. Everyone’s just assuming their No. 1 ranked transfer class and the “magic touch” of Lane Kiffin are enough to immediately launch the Tigers into the College Football Playoff. But hold up, did we forget last season? Brian Kelly had the nation’s No. 1 ranked transfer class then too, and they flamed out at a super disappointing 7-6 record. A quick shot of new talent alone isn’t some magic bullet that’s going to push them to the top of the SEC, which is an absolute meat grinder. And let’s be real, a lot of this greatness hinges entirely on quarterback Sam Leavitt living up to the hype as the No. 1 ranked transfer in his class. That is far from a sure thing, especially after he missed all of spring practice. Why? He was rehabilitating a foot injury that ended his 2025 season at Arizona State way back in late October. The kid’s got a lot to prove, and his career stats against SEC opposition, 44 of 88 passing with only one touchdown in three games, aren’t exactly screaming “savior” right now.
So, Week 1 is almost here, and our nine college football experts have laid out their picks for everything from Heisman winner to national champion. Notre Dame’s CJ Carr is the Heisman favorite, but even he’s only at +700. Fernando Mendoza’s surprise win last year proves anything can happen! Get ready, because it’s going to be wild.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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