AAC

FAU

I looked at quarterback Caden Veltkamp and coach Zach Kittley and think there is a high floor for FAU. They went 4-8, but they could do much better this season. It starts with cutting down on turnovers and the defense taking a step forward by making impactful plays. Their schedule gives them the opportunity with the experience they return while other teams go through rebuilding and retooling with new players and coaches. FAU could win more than the projected 5.5 games. 6 or 7 games seems doable even if they don’t compete for the AAC title game. The defense should be more experienced across the board, and the offense should be more entertaining to watch similar to when Kittley coordinated at Western Kentucky.

C-USA

DELAWARE

Surprisingly, Delaware was competitive last season after their FBS debut. They return quarterback Nick Minicucci after a solid performance last season. He’ll have help at the receiver position including a transfer or two. The offense looks solid, but the defense must improve for Delaware to maintain their consistency in Year 2. The schedule is about the same as last season, but the Blue Hens proved they can compete in C-USA. A few teams on Delaware’s schedule that succeeded last season might decline a bit, giving them every advantage possible to become bowl-eligible again.

MAC

KENT STATE

After peeking at the Golden Flashes last season, there’s reason to believe they could become bowl-eligible. Despite the first 2 of 4 games, Kent State may find their way to six wins. The main reason is their quarterback Dru DeShields. He showed leadership and managed to get the offense moving the ball downfield, and his presence gave their offense more scoring opportunities than in the past few seasons combined. He has weapons at the outside led by Wayne Harris and there’s a possibility that the run game could still manage after nabbing a couple of running backs in the portal. However, DeShields needs help from the offensive line that’s retooling and the defense that played really poor last season. Even just partial improvement in those positions will help Kent State to bowl-eligibility.

MOUNTAIN WEST

NEVADA

I would rather have put North Dakota State here than Nevada, but that would’ve been complete BS. I watched Nevada last year and I’m also an alumnus if anyone has kept up on my posts for the past few years. They showed some competitive fire, especially on defense. But the offense was abysmal. Averaging about 18 points per game, only scored over 30 points twice in 2 seasons with no answer at quarterback. This year, Carter Jones is the starting quarterback, and I have no idea if this is the move which makes it even more difficult to watch. The Nevada coaches said he’s the starter because of his overall improvement from last season, but turnovers must be chopped while his confidence must be high. I trust the defense will continue improvement, and the run game will get better. I’m expecting a bowl season, but where will they get six wins from? I guess we’ll see now that Boise State, Fresno State, San Diego State, Colorado State, and Utah State aren’t there anymore. If it doesn’t work out, I don’t expect the coach to be there. I’m very bullish about my school being bowl-bound this season.

NEW PAC-12

OREGON STATE

After the departure of the old Pac-12 teams, Oregon State fell from an 8-5 season to a 2-10 season within 2 years with no bowl appearances. The Beavers are looking for a new identity in the new Pac-12 and the opportunity could be there in a potential bounce back season. Their last season schedule consisted of Fresno State, Texas Tech, Oregon, Houston, Wake Forest, and App State to the extent along with rival Washington State twice. In 2026, they face Houston and Texas Tech with new teams coming in from the Mountain West, C-USA, and the Sun Belt. With a defense that could be improved, the schedule’s a bit more gettable. It all depends on the offense with a bevy of transfers, including Mercer quarterback transfer Braden Atkinson who took the starting job from projected starter Maalik Murphy. Last season as a freshman, he carved defenses for 3,611 yards and 34 touchdown passes while averaging 329 yards per game. A freaking freshman did it and got Mercer to the FCS playoffs. If he can elevate the passing game that averaged 226 yards and the run game has an answer, the Beavers might surprise everyone.

SUN BELT

LOUISIANA TECH

Blake Baker’s 4-5 in his 9 starts. In some of those losses, he went down with an injury early in the game that eventually cost them some wins. His health is vital for La Tech to compete in the Sun Belt, which is a couple of levels above C-USA. When he’s on the field, the offense is pretty dang good. He can move the ball with his arm and his legs, which accounts well for this offense as a whole. Defense wasn’t bad last season, but there’s plenty to replace while others are coming off injury, and La Tech needs that side healthy for better production. They had a whopping 22 interceptions and 21 sacks last season, but some of those numbers from those departed players are gone. If they can produce similar numbers with a healthy Blake Baker, La Tech could pose a problem in their Sun Belt debut.

ACC

WAKE FOREST

The Demon Deacons had some good moments on defense last season, including shutting down SMU’s high-powered offense with just 12 points to defeat them. It should be about the same but must answer with better consistency. Gio Lopez arrives from North Carolina after a poor season. With less expectations with a lesser polarizing coach like Jake Dickert, Lopez could return to his South Alabama form that did well his first two seasons there. He has that chance with some experienced receivers, but they hope the offensive line will be in sync during the season. Their schedule could swing one way or the other depending on talent level. They either end up with an 8–9-win season or they take a step back with six wins or less. It all depends on the offensive development.

BIG TEN

MARYLAND

With all that talent and experience from a few seasons of development, this is bowl season or bust for coach Mike Locksley. Guys like quarterback Malik Washington don’t come around Maryland too often, and the opportunity is there. The defense could show a little more production with a young group getting older. Sophomore edges Sidney Stewart and Zahir Mathis (13 sacks combined their freshmen season) headline a defense that could potentially surprise this season. There are gettable games on the schedule with some teams going coaching changes or new player additions, and Maryland must jump on it quickly before those teams have answers and the schedule presses down on the Terps harder than what a turtle shell can take. If they can nab at least six wins in the first 9 of 10 games before USC and Penn State, Locksley’s safe to add more key pieces for another year hoping to keep Washington at Maryland.

BIG 12

OKLAHOMA STATE

I would like to see the Ok State Cowboys crash and burn in a fiery pit, but I can’t since my favorite quarterback Drew Mestemaker’s on the roster after transferring from North Texas. He had such an exceptional campaign last season alongside coach Eric Morris, a bevy of receivers led by teammate Wyatt Young, and his backfield cohort Caleb Hawkins. They are a mystery this season, but there’s reason to believe they can slide their way to a Big 12 title spot in the Eric Morris era. The offense could be as lethal as the old Ok State that annoyed Oklahoma fans like me. The major question is their defense. Can that side with a bunch of transfers be on the same page to cause some disruption in the Big 12? Their schedule presents…an opportunity. The new-look Cowboys must avenge their loss against Tulsa, compete hard against Oregon win or lose, and then it depends on how they perform in the wide-open Big 12. If Mestemaker plays up to the level of Power 4 competition, watch out for Ok State in December and his potential Heisman hopes.

SEC

AUBURN

I thought about Florida, Kentucky, and South Carolina, but Auburn makes the most sense. For a team that struggled to find any identity for the past few seasons, Alex Golesh’s arrival with some of his USF players make the most sense. Remember the time when Cam Newton was a big quarterback who dominated the SEC and won the National Championship? Byrum Brown may not be close to a Newton, but he has some of that size, arm strength, and ability like him after rushing for over 1,000 yards along with his 3,000 passing yards last season at USF. Like Newton, Brown transferred from the state of Florida to Auburn. He has his three USF receivers along for the ride in the SEC and will try to make more noise than they did in Tampa. What’s even better for Auburn is that they maintained defensive coordinator DJ Durkin along with some key defensive players, including Xavier Atkins. Every season per usual, Auburn has Alabama and Georgia on the schedule since that’s their long time rivals. What’s worse is they have Florida, Tennessee, LSU, and Ole Miss too. They’re on this list because their defense will keep them in games if the passing defense tightens up a bit. If the offense can follow suit, there’s no telling how far Auburn will go.