Three College Football Programs Poised for Title Runs After Missing 2025 CFP

Among the top programs in College Football, there's always a bit of parity. Some years, for the best of the best on paper, things don't play out that way on the field. And then big changes happen in the offseason. Then, expectations are changed.

For these three programs, there is a definitive mandate from their fanbases and, most importantly, the booster class, to make the 2026 College Football Playoff field after missing the 2025 CFP last December.

Texas Longhorns

Though Steve Sarkisian thought his Texas Longhorns deserved to make last season's CFP field at 9-3, the reality is, they most certainly didn't. Losing to the Florida Gators and getting blown out by the Georgia Bulldogs showed the world that UT was good, but not deserving of winning a championship after the regular season.

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The Longhorns spent nearly $40 million in the transfer portal to rectify the issue. There's no doubt Texas is once again in the CFP conversation after being ranked No. 1 last year in the preseason. They may just be at the center of it with Arch Manning entering his fourth year in Austin, and his second as QB1.

Manning has new weapons, with transfer running backs Hollywood Smothers and Raleek Brown, receiver Cam Coleman, and 5-star freshman Jermaine Bishop, who looks like he could be ready to contribute right away, and an NFL legacy to fulfill.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish

Speaking of teams in the CFP conversation, most feel the Notre Dame Fighting Irish were snubbed from the 2025/2026 field. Between those believing the Group of 5 was over-represented with the Tulane Green Wave and James Madison Dukes, or those who felt the Alabama Crimson Tide's three losses, which included a 28-7 blowout to Georgia in the SEC title game, were the ones who shouldn't have made it over Notre Dame, the Fighting Irish had enough reasons to be angry about how last season played out.

Luckily, Notre Dame had the rules changed in their favor, and now the Irish are guaranteed a CFP seed if they're ranked in the top 12 at the end of the regular season. From a football sense, Notre Dame should be improved, with CJ Carr looking like a potential Heisman candidate and the defensive trenches were fortified. Carr's ceiling could determine if the Fighting Irish go all the way. They have the talent to make that run, though.

LSU Tigers

As for a team that was nowhere close to the CFP conversation last year, the LSU Tigers have a chance to go from down and out under Brian Kelly to back in the spotlight again with Lane Kiffin at the helm. Kiffin's results came quickly when he became the Ole Miss Rebels' head coach in 2020, with the team making the Sugar Bowl in year two of Kiffin's tenure.

LSU can't wait that long, with one of the most expensive portal classes in College Football needing an immediate payoff. With a new QB who's made the CFP with far less talent (Arizona State Sun Devils transfer Sam Leavitt) and the best blindside on the market to protect him (Colorado Buffaloes transfer Jordan Seaton), not to mention key pieces from Kiffin's Ole Miss team on both sides of the ball, the Tigers have the pieces to light up opponents week in and week out.

It's possible LSU will be celebrating like it's 2019 all fall and into next January with the work Kifin just put in during his inaugural offseason in Baton Rouge.