The 2026 NFL season is literally kicking off this week, and you know what that means: the experts are already going all out with their Super Bowl predictions! ESPN legends Mel Kiper Jr. and Field Yates just dropped a new video, spilling their guts on who they think will be squaring off for the Lombardi Trophy. Get ready for some shockers.
Kiper’s Wild Ride: Cowboys in the Big Game?!
First up, Kiper laid out his AFC thoughts, looking hard at the Baltimore Ravens, Los Angeles Chargers, and Houston Texans. But in the end, he threw his weight behind the **Cincinnati Bengals** to emerge from the AFC! That’s a bold call right out of the gate. For the NFC, things get even crazier. Kiper picked the **Dallas Cowboys**. Yeah, you heard that right. He’s got them making it to the Super Bowl, which would be their first time even past the Divisional Round in over three decades! Imagine that. Despite the Dallas hype, Kiper is ultimately picking the **Bengals** to hoist the Lombardi.
Yates Pivots, Rams Get Snubbed
Field Yates also had his eyes on the AFC powerhouses. He was considering the Bengals, and even initially leaned toward the Texans, before making a last-minute pivot. His final AFC representative is the **Baltimore Ravens**, battling their way out of a seriously competitive conference. Over in the NFC, Yates went with the **Los Angeles Rams**, who are actually coming into the season as the betting favorites to win the whole damn thing. But here’s the kicker: even with that stacked Rams roster, Yates is calling the **Ravens** to win the Big Game in Jesse Minter’s first year as head coach! Talk about a statement for Minter right away.
CFP Chaos: Oregon’s National Title Dreams Split
It wasn’t just the pros getting the prediction treatment. Kiper and Yates also went at it with their College Football Playoff Championship game picks. They were on similar tracks for a bit, but then veered off for the final winner. Kiper thinks **Oregon** is going to take it all, defeating Notre Dame in the national championship. But Yates saw things differently, picking **Ohio State** to beat Oregon for the title.
It’s going to be absolutely wild watching all these predictions unfold throughout the NFL and college seasons. Who’s going to get those serious bragging rights when all is said and done? The stakes are already sky-high!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Bleacher Report.
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