College football teams, coaches, players with most to prove in 2026

The offseason is a time of hope for all sports fans. This year, everyone’s favorite team will right its ship, reach its potential (or beyond) and bring joy to the masses. We hope.

For teams, coaches and players, the hope of fans can translate into pressure and raise the temperature in uncomfortable ways. And when things don’t go well, hope can be replaced by disappointment and impatience.

Who in college football will be most impacted by these tendencies in 2026? We’re thinking about those with expectations that things can be better, that things better get better. There are teams looking for College Football Playoff berths, players who need to bounce back from down years and coaches who are on — or near — the hot seat.

Our college football reporters offer their thoughts on the teams, coaches and players who will have the most to prove this fall.

What team has the most to prove in 2026?

Andrea Adelson: Clemson. We could have put Clemson down as the answer to this question for the past four years, but this time we really mean it. There is no sugarcoating the disappointment from 2025, when the Tigers finished 7-6 despite having a veteran team filled with future NFL draft picks. Coach Dabo Swinney went more heavily into the portal this offseason, particularly on defense, and went back to his past to hire Chad Morris as offensive coordinator to try to fix a stagnant offense. But there are major questions across the board with so many veterans gone. Swinney and his players need to show they have the answers.

Adam Rittenberg: USC. Coach Lincoln Riley has asked for patience as he upgraded the front office and other areas of the program to create a path for sustained success. While other less-decorated teams have risen faster, USC has a roster in place with fewer transfers and an influx of elite recruits from the nation’s No. 1 class. The next step is obvious — the team’s first College Football Playoff appearance — but USC must navigate a very…