Chris 'The Bear' Fallica's Bold, Way-Too-Early College Football Predictions

It's been roughly six weeks since Indiana capped off a 16-0 season with a dramatic win over Miami to capture the national championship. 

We have had college basketball, the Olympics and some incredible golf finishes to try and fill the void between now and college football season … but it still comes up short. 

So I got thinking: What are a few early thoughts that might fire up the CFB crowd?

And I came up with this half dozen. 

Agree. Disagree. Debate. Have at it!

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The winner between Miami and Notre Dame in South Bend on Nov. 7 will finish undefeated and capture the No. 1 seed in the CFP

The two teams that lost in the first two CFP Championship Games of the 12-team era are both major title contenders in 2026. 

Miami will likely be even better than it was in the 2025 season, as its biggest concern — replacing quarterback Carson Beck — was alleviated by adding Duke transfer Darian Mensah. 

The roster is loaded, and it's clear that Mario Cristobal is building a monster at his alma mater. Miami beat Notre Dame in the season-opener last year, and it was ultimately that win that put the Canes in the CFP over the Irish. 

But that night it was freshman CJ Carr who was the best player on the field for the Irish. 

Carr got better and better as the season progressed, and I’ve already bet him at 8-1 to win the Heisman Trophy next season — which, if Notre Dame beats Miami and goes 12-0, is a near certainty. Miami’s toughest test pre-Notre Dame is a trip to a potentially desperate Clemson team (more on that later), while the Irish have a trip