Jonathan Von Tobel

The time at the top of the country has seemingly come to an end for the SEC. It has been three years since a member of the conference won a national championship. The Big Ten has dominated the last three seasons, all with different champions. The conversation all offseason has been about the SEC reclaiming its throne, and there is certainly a strong chance the conference can do just that with its depth of championship contenders.

They say success is the greatest revenge, but in this case of jilted lovers, the Mountain West might have some trouble making the defectors to the new Pac-12 jealous. Gone are Boise State, San Diego State, Fresno State, Colorado State and Utah State. To replace them, the conference brought in UTEP, Northern Illinois and North Dakota State. The Bison have a shot to be the hot new fling, but the Miners and Huskies are projected to be cellar-dwellars in their first seasons in the conference.

The AFC East has lost some of its luster with the demolition of Miami’s roster in the offseason, but the two heavyweights at the top of the projected standings still give this division some verve heading into the 2026 regular season. New England looks to defend its division title against Buffalo after stealing it from the Bills and snapping their streak of five consecutive AFC East titles.