Lane Kiffin to LSU, Notre Dame's response to a Playoff snub and more college football storylines

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Lane Kiffin to LSU, Notre Dame's response to a Playoff snub and more college football storylines originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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The college football media spent the 2026 offseason reporting on the future of college athletics and learning the ins and outs of how Congress works. The Protect College Sports Act took over Media Days, as conference commissioners were juggling media obligations with efforts to get their memberships to agree on how to proceed with the proposed bill in Washington.

College football fans, meanwhile, tried to pay attention, but mostly were ready for preseason camps to open and the focus to return to Week 1 (or Week 0!) matchups.

Good news — we're pretty much here! The TLDR is the bill is stalled until at least September, player compensation continues to rise, transfers are constant, conferences still make no sense … and the football is going to be awesome.

Here are five compelling storylines for the 2026 season.

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Lane Kiffin at LSU leads coaches in new places

The departure of head coach Lane Kiffin from Ole Miss to LSU at the end of the 2025 regular season ballooned into one of the dominant stories of the year. The Rebels advanced to the College Football Playoff semifinals under coach Pete Golding, but the spotlight remains on Kiffin with the high-profile move to Baton Rouge.

Kiffin replaced Brian Kelly, who was dismissed after a 49-25 loss to Texas A&M at Tiger Stadium. Ole Miss is 42-12 the last four seasons. LSU is 36-17. Did Kiffin make the right move? The Tigers play against the Rebels in Oxford on Sept. 19 in what should be one of the most watched games of the year.

LSU and Ole Miss are among the 17 Power 4 schools with a new head coach in 2026. James Franklin, who has 128 career wins, resets his career at Virginia Tech. Matt Campbell, who has 107 wins, takes over at Penn State. Michigan hired Kyle Whittingham, a long-time coach whoc ompiled 177 victories at Utah.

MORE: Ranking the 138 FBS coaches entering 2026

Notre Dame's response to playoff snub

The Big Ten has won three consecutive national championships with Michigan, Ohio State and Indiana. All three schools are approximately within 250 miles of Notre Dame. The Irish are still looking for their first national championship since Lou Holtz, who passed away this past March, led the program to a perfect 12-0 season in 1988.

Indiana won the CFP championship in storybook fashion last season and beat Ohio State in the Big Ten championship game. Curt Cignetti’s only two losses at IU are to Notre Dame and Ohio State. The Buckeyes broke a four-game losing streak to Michigan and beat Notre Dame the previous season in the CFP championship game. The rivalries between these neighboring schools will intensify.

Notre Dame comes into focus in 2026. The Irish were snubbed from last season’s College Football Playoff despite a 10-2 record under Marcus Freeman. The Irish return Heisman Trophy hopeful CJ Carr and a loaded defense led by cornerback Leonard Moore. This is their best chance to break that national title drought.

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The SEC's dilemma with CFP expansion

The SEC has not had a four-year national championship drought since 1999-2002, and commissioner Greg Sankey will have a hand in shaping the future of the College Football Playoff by answering one question. Should the conference ditch the SEC championship game?

Georgia won back-to-back SEC championships but failed to advance past the College Football Playoff quarterfinal round in the first two years of the 12-team playoff. The SEC put a total of eight teams in the CFP the last two years but has yet to play in the CFP championship game.

Alabama athletic director Greg Byrne questioned the value of the SEC title game in the new era this spring, especially with the push toward a 16-team College Football Playoff. The SEC also is moving to a nine-game conference schedule. Will that benefit the conference built on the “It just means more” mantra?

Texas is back … and they are not alone

The state of Texas boasts a total of five programs from three conferences in our Preseason Top 25, which shows the impact of NIL in the football-obsessed state.

Defending Big 12 champion Texas Tech returns another strong roster under head coach Joey McGuire. Houston brought back quarterback Conner Weigman and added five-star QB Keisean Henderson. The Cougars enter the season as a trendy Big 12 sleeper. In the SEC, Texas quarterback Arch Manning is hyped for another season, and the roster added playmakers via the transfer portal. Can the Longhorns get back to the CFP for the third time in four seasons?

Texas A&M quarterback Marcel Reed also returns, and the Aggies are looking to get back to the playoff. SMU is 20-7 since joining the ACC and will be a factor in the conference race with quarterback Kevin Jennings.

How many of those teams will make the College Football Playoff?

MORE:Order SN's 2026 College Football Preview magazine

Big name ACC coaches on the hot seat

Miami won the ACC and advanced to the CFP title game last season. The Hurricanes will be the preseason favorite in the conference. That will turn up the pressure on three coaches in 2026. Clemson is coming off a 7-6 season under Dabo Swinney, the program’s lowest win total since 2010. Florida State’s Mike Norvell has endured back-to-back losing seasons with the Seminoles

Meanwhile, North Carolina’s Bill Belichick won six Super Bowls as the New England Patriots’ head coach, but his Tar Heels went 4-8 in 2025. Will the 74-year-old coach engineer a Year 2 turnaround in Chapel Hill?

MORE: Comparing AP, Coaches preseason polls | Is a 20-team CFP worth considering?

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