One lingering question for each Top 25 team in college football preseason poll
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Even the best teams in the Football Bowl Subdivision head into the regular season with an unanswered question or two.
These are the kind of preseason questions that leave coaches tossing and turning, fretting over the possibility that one weak link or unsolved conundrum could doom a shot at the College Football Playoff or the national championship.
This includes Ryan Day at Ohio State. Ranked No. 1 in the preseason US LBM Coaches Poll, the Buckeyes have nearly flawless personnel. But will a new hire at coordinator pan out and lift OSU back to the top of the Big Ten?
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USA TODAY Sports breaks down one big question facing every team in the preseason Coaches poll:
1. Ohio State: Can Ryan Day ace another NFL hire?
He definitely earned an A+ for bringing in Matt Patricia as his defensive coordinator last winter. All OSU did last year was rank first nationally in giving up 219.1 yards per game. This offseason, Day hired another former NFL head coach in Arthur Smith to run the offense. What he unlocks from Julian Sayin, Jeremiah Smith and the Buckeyes will determine the national championship.
2. Oregon: Is the offensive line up to snuff?
Quarterback? Check. Defensive line? Check, for sure. Defensive back seven? Check, thanks to newcomers such as safety Koi Perich. About the only area of personnel concern for the Ducks is up front on offense, where there will be three new starters around star center Iapani Laloulu and guard Dave Iuli.
3. Georgia: Who makes plays at receiver?
There’s an extreme lack of experience and proven depth at wide receiver. Georgia will be very reliant on Georgia Tech transfer Isiah Canion (33 receptions for 480 yards in 2025) as it looks to replace Zachariah Branch’s after-the-catch impact on the passing game.
4. Texas: Can Will Muschamp unlock more from the defense?
Texas finished last season tied for third in the SEC in yards allowed per play. Whether new defensive coordinator Will Muschamp looks to unlock an even better performance could depend on how things shake out in the secondary. The Longhorns have plenty of options but need to identify three new starters.
5. Notre Dame: Who joins Aneyas Williams at running back?
Aneyas Williams takes over as Notre Dame’s top back after spending last year in a reserve role. If the Irish continue with a committee approach, look for Williams to be joined by Kedren Young and Nolan James Jr.
6. Indiana: Can the Hoosier hit it big again with transfers?
The defending national champions brought in a smaller but even more star-studded transfer class. How far the Hoosiers go on offense depends on the connection between new quarterback Josh Hoover (TCU) and new receiver Nick Marsh (Michigan State).
7. Miami: Can the defensive line be even better?
Miami lost a pair of wrecking balls in Rueben Bain and Akheem Mesidor but could be just as dominant up front in 2026. The Hurricanes are loaded in the middle behind Ahmad Moten and Justin Scott. It’ll come down to the edges, where senior Damon Wilson II is a breakout candidate.
8. Texas A&M: Is Daymion Stafford ready to go?
The senior linebacker suffered a leg injury during spring ball but is ahead of schedule on his recovery, leaving open the possibility he’ll return early in the season. This would be huge for A&M, which planned on leaning on Stafford’s experience and production (57 tackles and 3½ sacks in 2025).
9. Oklahoma: Can the offense unlock more explosiveness?
Hopefully, a more consistent running game will open up more explosive plays through the air. The Sooners ranked third from the bottom in the SEC last year with just five completions of 40-plus yards. The personnel is there between quarterback John Mateer and the projected starting three receivers Trell Harris, Parker Livingstone and Isaiah Sategna III.
10. Ole Miss: What changes under Pete Golding?
Last year's playoff run gave Pete Golding a running head start on his tenure as Lane Kiffin's replacement. Now we'll see what permanent changes he installs, if any, to give his program a different look. Start on offense, where new coordinator John David Baker should blend some of his Air Raid concepts into a unit led by two of the nation's biggest stars in Trinidad Chambliss and Kewan Lacy.
11. Alabama: Is this another pitiful running game?
A year ago, Alabama finished 15th in the SEC with 104.1 rushing yards per game and 3.4 yards per carry. The Tide won’t go anywhere without drastic improvement. That there are four new starters up front might not be a bad thing, especially if 6-7 sophomore Jackson Lloyd lives up to the hype at left tackle.
12. Texas Tech: Is Will Hammond healthy and ready?
Hammond was projected to be the backup until the Brendan Sorsby debacle ripped through Texas Tech’s offseason. Originally supposed to be out for the season’s first few weeks while recovering from a knee injury, the redshirt sophomore is now on pace to start the season opener against Abilene Christian.
13. LSU: How quickly does this come together?
The Tigers will need to hit the ground running with the season opener at home against Clemson. But what will determine LSU's status as a playoff contender is how well this team comes together before games at Ole Miss and home against A&M to end September. The talent is there for Kiffin's debut to be a smashing success.
14. USC: Does Gary Patterson still have the touch?
He hasn’t held a full-time, on-field role since 2021. What has Patterson learned during his post-TCU bounce around the Power Four? USC hopes he can build a stronger defense in the trenches after last year’s failures against the run led to crippling losses against Illinois, Notre Dame and Oregon.
15. BYU: Who steps up at receiver?
Taking the next step and making the playoff will require a step forward from quarterback Bear Bachmeier. In turn, he’ll need help at receiver to replace last year’s top duo in Chase Roberts and Parker Kingston. Look for the Cougars to lean on two big-bodied targets in 6-5 junior Jojo Phillips and 6-6 Oregon transfer Kyler Kasper.
16. Michigan: Is Bryce Underwood noticeably improved?
Tapping into the sophomore's potential is one of the biggest keys to a successful start for former Utah coach Kyle Whittingham. Underwood was a disappointment in 2025, but a good amount of his struggles can be linked to the previous staff and scheme. Whittingham and his staff had a nice run of quarterback success to end their tenures with the Utes.
17. Penn State: How much can PSU make out of an easier Big Ten schedule?
The heavy influx of Iowa State transfers is one reason Penn State could make a playoff push in Matt Campbell’s first season. An even bigger reason might be a Big Ten slate that misses Ohio State, Oregon and Indiana. The Nittany Lions’ biggest games are against Southern California at home and at Michigan and Washington.
18. Tennessee: Could the quarterback competition last into September?
You’d think Josh Heupel would want to settle the ongoing battle between redshirt freshman George MacIntyre and true freshman Faizon Brandon before the end of the month. But the chance exists that this competition extends into the regular season; at a minimum, the starter for the opener against Furman will need to produce to remain in the lineup. Back in 2021, Heupel went with Joe Milton for the first two games before he was replaced by Hendon Hooker, who went on to have a monster season.
19. Washington: Is everything good with Demond Williams Jr.?
The second-year starter looked to transfer from UW in January but backed off his decision two days later amid the possibility of a legal dispute. Just beginning to scratch the surface of his potential, Williams is the centerpiece of Jedd Fisch's program; whether both sides are back on the same page is an underlying factor heading into a likely playoff push.
20. SMU: Can the Mustangs take care of things in September?
Down the road, there’s a huge road trip to Notre Dame in November with potentially huge national consequences. Before that, though, SMU must take care of business in September’s crucial ACC matchups at Florida State and Louisville. Sweeping the Seminoles and Cardinals will send surging SMU into October’s run of home games against Boston College, Virginia and California.
21. Utah: How worrisome is this offensive line?
Utah lost all five starters from last year’s outstanding front, led by a pair of first-round draft picks in Spencer Fano and Caleb Lomu. New line coach Jordan Gross will have his hands full. But he’ll have some veteran pieces to work with, led by seniors Alex Harrison and Keith Olsen. Having two mobile quarterbacks in starter Devon Dampier and backup Byrd Ficklin will really help this unit.
22. Iowa: Is special teams still an area of strength?
High-level special teams play has been one of the hallmarks of the Kirk Ferentz era. This year’s team faces a unique challenge to meet that standard. Iowa lost four-year starting kicker Drew Stevens and All-America returner Kaden Wetjen to graduation. Longtime special teams coach LeVar Woods left for the same position under Pat Fitzgerald at Michigan State and starting punter Rhys Dakin followed Woods to East Lansing as a transfer.
23. Clemson: Can Chad Morris fix things on the ground and on third down?
Rehired this past winter after holding the same spot from 2011-14, offensive coordinator Chad Morris faces two pressing tasks beyond his work in getting quarterback Christopher Vizzina ready for the starting job. Last year’s team was held under 100 rushing yards five times while converting just 34.3% of the time on third down.
24. Houston: How much will Keisean Henderson play?
Houston has an established senior starter in Conner Weigman, who threw for 2,705 yards and 25 scores against just nine interceptions last season. While Weigman’s starting job is secure, Houston will look for ways to use five-star freshman Keisean Henderson as a way to pressure defenses and to speed up his development before taking over in 2027.
25. Missouri: Can Tigers handle this tougher schedule?
After two years of some of the friendliest conference schedules the SEC can offer, Missouri is set to take on a much higher level of difficulty. The Tigers take on A&M, Ole Miss, Texas, Georgia and Oklahoma. Mississippi transfer Austin Simmons having an immediate impact at quarterback will help.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: One lingering question for each Top 25 team in college football preseason poll
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