ESPN and CBS Sports publish preseason college football playoff and quarterback rankings
Two major U.S. sports outlets released early-season college football forecasts on Wednesday, with ESPN projecting playoff contenders and CBS Sports ranking quarterbacks.
ESPN and CBS Sports published preseason college football outlooks on Wednesday ahead of the 2026 season, offering early projections on the playoff field and the nation’s top quarterbacks. The lists arrive before Week 1 games begin.
ESPN’s preview focused on which teams its analysts expect to reach the College Football Playoff, while CBS Sports released a top-50 quarterback ranking. In that ranking, Oregon’s Dante Moore was placed first, ahead of Texas quarterback Arch Manning and Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss.
CBS Sports said Moore’s position at the top was helped by Oregon’s receiving group. The ranking also highlighted the depth of the quarterback field entering the opening week.
The two pieces reflect the annual run of preseason forecasting that shapes discussion around the sport before results begin to settle the picture. Both were published for a U.S. audience on the eve of the new college football campaign.
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