Two years after the fallout, Michigan’s Connor Stalions faces a formal punishment that includes a sizable financial penalty and an additional one-game suspension for head coach Sherrone Moore, set to take effect in 2026. The move marks a late but notable consequence in the ongoing case, with more details forthcoming on the site.
In the meantime, the college football season is being framed around Texas’ return to the top of the rankings. For the first time, Texas opens as preseason No. 1 in both the AP Top 25 and the Coaches Poll. The push is eye-catching given the program’s history and the hype that surrounds it, but the longer view shows a deeper pattern: Texas has appeared in the preseason top five 26 times, trailing only Oklahoma (37), Ohio State (34) and Alabama (33). The Longhorns’ finishes in the top five across history number 22, with the last top-five preseason stint prior to this year coming in 2010 (No. 5) after which the program endured a stretch of ups and downs.
Context matters here. The Texas surge sits amid a broader conversation about expectations in college football: Texas’ rise has often been met with both optimism and skepticism, and the program’s fortunes have swung with realignment and media narratives. The era after the Longhorn Network and the Big 12 upheaval also colored perceptions of Texas, including moments like Mack Brown’s tenure and the competitive landscape around the program since then. Notre Dame’s preseason chatter is another familiar thread in the ongoing debate about which programs are consistently over- or underrated, a point the author playfully notes as part of the broader preseason dialogue. Texas A&M, meanwhile, has a relatively sparse record of top-five finishes—only four—despite the school’s high-profile status.
Quick Snaps highlight the season’s undercurrents. One recurring theme is predicting “dark horses” who could surprise in the CFP race. Neil Paine’s framework looks at eight statistical factors that can signal unranked teams with playoff potential. The author also shares a personal hunch about Iowa’s playoff chances, placing the Hawkeyes near the middle of the pack in a projected mix that includes USC, Louisville, Auburn and Virginia Tech, among others. The takeaway is that the path to the playoff often starts with unheralded teams breaking through in the early months.
Mandel’s mailbag touches on Week 0 intrigue. The scheduled clash of No. 17 Kansas State and No. 22 Iowa State in Dublin is the first Week 0 matchup between ranked opponents in two decades, a slot that has historically drawn less national attention as previews increasingly look toward Week 1 matchups like Texas at Ohio State. The sense is that while this game might not dominate the national conversation, it represents a high-stakes opening salvo for two strong programs, with implications for conference positioning and early-season momentum.
Summary
The season begins with a mix of sanctions, high expectations, and early perilous tests. Michigan’s sanction history adds a cautionary note about program conduct, while Texas’ No. 1 preseason status sets up a season-long storyline about meeting pressure, translating hype into results, and navigating a landscape shaped by realignment and media narratives. The early Week 0 pairing of K-State and Iowa State in Dublin offers a tangible test to kick off the action, with analysts forecasting which teams might emerge from the early rounds as CFP contenders.
A few additional notes to add value
– The Stalions case reinforces how off-field matters can intersect with on-field competition, potentially impacting recruiting narratives and program perception for years to come.
– Texas’ immediate traction in preseason rankings will be worth watching against a backdrop of scrutiny over first-week results, non-conference performances, and how well the team translates hype into consistent execution.
– Week 0 games, though sometimes overlooked, can provide crucial early indicators about depth, coaching, and adaptation to new schemes, especially in conferences with shifting rosters and schedules.
Positive spin
– The start of a season filled with high expectations, genuine playoff contenders, and intriguing Week 0 matchups offers fans a front-row seat to early storylines, rivalries renewed, and opportunities for under-the-radar programs to announce their presence.
If you’d like a concise takeaway: Michigan’s sanction news yokes attention to governance and compliance, while Texas’ top-ranked status signals a season of intense scrutiny and high stakes, with early tests like the K-State vs. Iowa State showdown in Dublin likely to foreshadow which programs will be in the CFP conversation from the start.
Overall sentiment: neutral to cautiously optimistic about the season’s competitive drama and the ongoing narrative around expectations, enforcement, and early results. Summary of the season’s themes, with a focus on the interplay between enforcement actions, preseason hype, and meaningful Week 0 tests.