Ready to get hurt again: Five college football teams Tom Fornelli can't quit going into 2026
CBS Sports writer Tom Fornelli expects five specific programs to outperform their win totals for the 2026 season. He names Florida, Kansas State, Michigan State, USC, and Virginia Tech. Fornelli acknowledges this prediction may make him look foolish.
What changed
The report confirms the specific teams Fornelli expects to exceed their 2026 projections.
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Tom Fornelli Identifies Five College Football Teams to Exceed 2026 Win Projections
confidence 100%CBS Sports writer Tom Fornelli expects five specific programs to outperform their win totals for the 2026 season. He names Florida, Kansas State, Michigan State, USC, and Virginia Tech. Fornelli acknowledges this prediction may make him look foolish.
What's confirmed:
- Tom Fornelli is a writer for CBS Sports.
- Fornelli predicts Florida, Kansas State, Michigan State, USC, and Virginia Tech will exceed their 2026 win projections.
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Tom Fornelli Forecasts 2026 College Football Upsets
confidence 90%CBS Sports writer Tom Fornelli predicts five teams will exceed their 2026 win projections. He identifies Florida, Kansas State, Michigan State, USC, and Virginia Tech as the programs likely to outperform expectations. Fornelli admits this outlook carries a risk of making him look foolish.
What's confirmed:
- Tom Fornelli is a host of the Cover 3 College Football podcast.
- The Cover 3 College Football podcast is associated with CBS Sports.
Still unconfirmed:
- USC is one of five programs facing the most pressure to step forward in 2026.
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Tom Fornelli Identifies Five College Football Teams to Exceed 2026 Projections
confidence 100%CBS Sports writer Tom Fornelli has selected five college football programs he believes will outperform their preseason win projections for 2026. These teams include Florida, Kansas State, Michigan State, USC, and Virginia Tech. Fornelli views this as a risk that could leave him looking foolish.
What's confirmed:
- Tom Fornelli expects the Florida Gators, Kansas State Wildcats, Michigan State Spartans, USC Trojans, and Virginia Tech Hokies to potentially exceed expectations.
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Tom Fornelli identifies five college football teams for 2026
confidence 100%CBS Sports writer Tom Fornelli has named five college football teams he believes will exceed preseason win projections for 2026. He describes the process as falling in love with teams despite the risk of looking foolish. The Florida Gators are among the teams expected to outperform expectations.
What's confirmed:
- Tom Fornelli identified five college football teams he believes will outperform expectations in 2026.
- The list was published on June 17, 2026.
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Tom Fornelli Names Five College Football Teams for 2026
confidence 100%CBS Sports writer Tom Fornelli identified five teams he believes will exceed their preseason win projections for 2026. He describes this process as falling in love with teams despite often looking foolish. The Florida Gators are among the teams he expects to outperform expectations.
What's confirmed:
- Tom Fornelli selected five college football teams he expects to outperform their 2026 preseason win projections.
- The Florida Gators are one of the five teams Fornelli believes will exceed expectations.
Still unconfirmed:
- The Florida Gators are a potential Playoff contender due to a cultural shift under coach Jon Sumrall.
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Tom Fornelli Identifies Five College Football Teams to Watch for 2026
confidence 90%CBS Sports writer Tom Fornelli has selected five college football teams he expects to outperform their 2026 preseason win projections. The Florida Gators are highlighted as a potential Playoff contender. This outlook follows a cultural shift under coach Jon Sumrall.
What's confirmed:
- Tom Fornelli has served as a college football writer for CBS Sports since 2010.
- Fornelli believes five college football teams will exceed expectations in the 2026 season.
- The Florida Gators are among the teams Fornelli identifies as likely to exceed projections.
Still unconfirmed:
- Florida is viewed as a Playoff contender due to a cultural shift under Jon Sumrall.
- Ohio State is one of the teams highlighted for potential surprises.
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Florida and 4 others poised to defy 2026 expectations per Fornelli
confidence 92%Tom Fornelli has identified five college football teams likely to exceed preseason win projections in 2026, with Florida leading as a Playoff contender. Ohio State and others are also highlighted for potential surprises. Florida’s cultural shift under Jon Sumrall is cited as a key factor. No new teams or major shifts in projections since the initial list.
What's confirmed:
- Florida is considered a serious College Football Playoff contender heading into 2026 by multiple analysts.
- Jon Sumrall’s impact at Florida has reset the program’s cultural and on-field trajectory, per recent reporting.
- Five Power Four teams—including Florida—are predicted to outperform their preseason win totals in 2026 by CBS Sports’ Tom Fornelli.
- Florida’s roster depth and NIL-driven recruitment are viewed as major advantages for exceeding expectations.
Still unconfirmed:
- Ohio State is mentioned in broader Buckeyes coverage but not explicitly tied to Fornelli’s 2026 outperformers list.
- Colt Matlock (UTEP) is referenced in passing but unrelated to the five-team focus.
- Unconfirmed speculation exists about other programs ‘ready to shock’ the sport, though no specifics are tied to Fornelli’s picks.