​Does the next Indiana exist? 6 dark horse College Football Playoff contenders that could surprise in 2026 originally appeared on The Sporting News.
Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.The long, nightmare wait is over. The 2026 college football season is here.Entering last season, Indiana was quite literally college football’s biggest loser. Now, we sit eight months removed from its improbable national title.In just two short seasons, Hoosiers head coach Curt Cignetti took Indiana to the mountaintop. While there likely will never be another season like the dream one Fernando Mendoza and Indiana had in 2025, let’s take a look at which College Football Playoff dark horses are entering the 2026 season.No, we aren’t guaranteeing that each team on this list will make the CFP. But each team’s head coach, paired with its roster outlook, could create a turnaround similar to what Indiana had in recent years.SN 140: Greatest teams since 1886 | Greatest CFB teams by decade|Greatest personalitiesUCLA Bruins UCLA has been somewhat of a revolving door of head coaches who never could figure out how to win big in recent years. The last coach to lead the Bruins to a double-digit-win season was Jim Mora, who did so in 2013 and 2014. The Bruins haven’t played for a Big Ten title since 2012 and have claimed just one national title, in 1954.Chip Kelly finished 35-34 across six seasons, and Bruins alum Deshaun Foster went 5-10 with an 0-3 start last season before his firing. But the Bruins have a proven winner in head coach Bob Chesney, who comes to Los Angeles from James Madison.He led the Dukes to a historic CFP berth just last season and has a 132-52 overall record as a head coach. At Division I Holy Cross from 2018-2023, he led the Crusaders to four consecutive playoff berths from 2019-2022, including a quarterfinal appearance in 2022.His transfer portal class ranked 25th nationally, per 247Sports, including big names like former Dukes EDGE rusher Sahir West, Oklahoma linebacker Sammy Omosigho and Florida receiver Aidan Mizell. With former five-star quarterback recruit Nico Iamaleava already installed under center, the Bruins could make some noise in a crowded Big Ten this year.Game to watch: At Oregon, Oct. 10 MORE: Five storylines to track for 2026 seasonLouisville Cardinals Louisville fourth-year head coach Jeff Brohm has had the Cardinals on the cusp of being a legitimate ACC threat in recent years. The Cardinals were the first team to upset Miami during the regular season last year, earning an impressive 24-21 win on the road. But three straight November losses to Cal, Clemson and SMU killed their momentum.In 2024, the Cardinals upset then-No. 11 Clemson 33-21 but lost to unranked Stanford the following week. Louisville finished the season 9-4 with a win over Washington in the Sun Bowl.In his first season at Louisville in 2023, Brohm led the Cardinals to their first-ever ACC Championship Game. But Louisville lost