Tom Fornelli's CFP Vibe Check, Week 1: Big Ten shows cracks, while LSU sends a loud message - CBS Sports
LSU's dominant 51-10 victory over Clemson in the season opener has shifted expectations for the 2026 college football season. Analysts now consider LSU a legitimate national title contender, expanding the previously identified group of seven top teams to eight.
Why it matters
This shift in power dynamics impacts betting markets, playoff projections, and the overall narrative of the 2026 college football season.
The industry consensus heading into the 2026 season was that there were seven teams in contention to win the national title. The best reflection of this belief was in the preseason AP Top 25.
Not only did five different teams ( Ohio State , Oregon , Indiana , Notre Dame and Miami ) receive first-place votes, but when all the votes were tallied, No. 1 Ohio State was separated from No. 7 Miami by only 293 points.
The gap between No. 7 Miami and No. 8 Texas A&M was 248 points.
It turns out the consensus was wrong. There aren't seven national title contenders this season. There are eight.
Welcome to the party, LSU . Their 51-10 win over Clemson reflected two programs heading in different directions. One continued its freefall from the world of the sport's elite, while the other re-established itself as a genuine threat.
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