ESPN FPI names top undefeated college football candidates for 2026 season
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The college football world received a surprise a little over a month before the season gets underway. ESPN released its full college football FPI rankings ahead of the 2026 season.
The breakdown of ESPN’s college football FPI has officially begun. Fans and analysts have already debated which teams are ranked too high or too low. They’ve even asked which program could become the next Indiana.
MORE: Who is ranked too low, too high on first college football ESPN FPI?
One aspect now under the microscope, and one of the biggest takeaways from the ESPN FPI, is which teams have the best chance to finish undefeated. The college football ESPN FPI projects several teams with a legitimate opportunity to complete a perfect 12-0 regular season.
Here are the top 10 teams with the highest probability of going undefeated, according to the college football ESPN FPI projection:
- Notre Dame
- Texas Tech
- Georgia
- Indiana
- Ohio State
- Miami
- Oregon
- Texas
- Penn State
- UNLV
Notre Dame leads the group, and college football fans might point to the fact that the Fighting Irish do not belong to a conference. Because of that, some may perceive their schedule as being easier. However, Notre Dame still has several challenging matchups on its schedule, including games against Miami (FL) and BYU.
MORE: ESPN college football FPI rankings unveiled entering 2026 season
Texas Tech, meanwhile, won its conference last season and enters the year as the clear favorite to do it again. It is worth noting that the Red Raiders no longer have Brendan Sorsby at quarterback, as he is banned from the NCAA. The only conference loss they suffered last season came against Arizona State.
Programs such as Georgia, Indiana, Ohio State, Miami, Oregon, and Texas are not surprising additions to the list. All of them enter the season as heavy favorites to either win their conference, reach the College Football Playoff, or accomplish both.
The most intriguing team in the top 10 is UNLV. The Rebels compete in the Mountain West Conference and enjoyed a strong season last year. However, they fell short of winning the conference after losing to Boise State. Following a 10-4 campaign in Dan Mullen’s first season as head coach, can UNLV run the table during the regular season?
Which of these teams do you think will finish undefeated, and which team will suffer the first loss of the 2026 college football season?
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