ESPN’s computer model, the Football Power Index, has released its picks for the country’s 10 most “dominant” teams this fall.
The 2026 college football season is approaching quickly. Games are set to begin very soon. The 2025 college football season was a historic one, with Indiana taking home the College Football Playoff national championship in legendary fashion.
Who will be holding up the trophy at the end of the 2026 college football season?
ESPN’s computer model, the Football Power Index, has released its picks for the country’s 10 most “dominant” teams. These are not the 10 national title frontrunners. Instead, they’re the 10 teams projected to have the best chance of going undefeated.
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ESPN’s computer model’s 10 most “dominant” teams this fall:
- Notre Dame
- Texas Tech
- Georgia
- Indiana
- Ohio State
- Miami
- Oregon
- Texas
- Penn State
- UNLV
How does ESPN’s computer model work?
ESPN’s computer model is a projection-based system.
“The Football Power Index (FPI) is a measure of team strength that is meant to be the best predictor of a team’s performance going forward for the rest of the season. FPI represents how many points above or below average a team is. Projected results are based on 20,000 simulations of the rest of the season using FPI, results to date, and the remaining schedule. Ratings and projections update daily. FPI data from seasons prior to 2019 may not be complete,” ESPN describes.
Who do you think will be the country’s most dominant teams throughout the 2026 college football regular season later this fall?
