4 most underrated college cootball teams entering 2026 season
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It is exponentially more difficult to come up with college football teams that are underrated as opposed to overrated. For a team to be underrated, there has to be a modest projection on them, and they have to have the potential to overachieve it.
It requires a little bit of a projection and prediction. There has to be more than meets the eye.
Here are our underrated teams as we head into the 2026 season.
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BYU
The Cougars have been a difficult evaluation over each of the last two seasons, playing in a parity-filled Big 12 that has not won a College Football Playoff game in the 12-team era. But the Cougars beat everyone in front of them last season, save for two games against Texas Tech. They retained head coach Kalani Sitake, who himself is very underrated as a head coach.
QB Bear Bachmeier, who was never supposed to start last season, returns as a true sophomore and a full year of starting experience under his belt. Running back LJ Martin is also back for one more go-around. This could finally be the year where BYU breaks through and wins the Big 12, and they are not being ranked as such.
Michigan
Very quietly, the Michigan Wolverines went 9-3 last season. In the offseason, a national scandal led to the firing of Sharrone Moore. But I believe Michigan actually upgraded at head coach by bringing in proven winner Kyle Whittingham from Utah and his up-and-coming offensive coordinator Jason Beck.
The Wolverines have a solid mix of transfers, like WR JJ Buchanan, and returning production, led by former 5-star QB Bryce Underwood for his second season as a starter. If the roster is at least as good as last year, and we believe the coaching staff is going to get more out of it, why are we not ranking Michigan in the top-15?
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SMU
One fateful road trip to Berkeley on the last day of the regular season prevented SMU from playing in the ACC Championship and likely punching their ticket to their second straight College Football Playoff. Rhett Lashlee has built a proven winner in Dallas, and I expect it to continue this season. SMU didn’t bring in the flashiest portal class, but it was filled with strategic additions to fill some holes in the roster.
QB Kevin Jennings returns for his 3rd season as a starter, and appears fully healthy after battling nagging injuries last season. The Mustangs were the thorn in the side of Miami last season, and while they don’t play in the regular season, I fully expect them to match up in Charlotte for the ACC Championship.
Auburn
The Auburn Tigers were a one-sided team last year. They had an elite defense, but really struggled to score on offense with QB Jackson Arnold. In the offseason, Alex Golesh was hired to be the new head coach. He very wisely retained Defensive Coordinator DJ Durkin and kept much of that elite defense.
Offense was Golesh’s specialty at South Florida, and he brings over QB Byrum Brown and WRs Kesean Singleton and Jeremiah Koger to revitalize the Auburn offense. I think this is a winning formula, and Auburn has a history of having a massive home-field advantage. I think this is a great combination for a fast rebuild.
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