While tradition is a focal point of NCAA football, the way the game is played today is nothing like it was even a few years ago.
This week, we found out some players in the NFL are trying to return to the NCAA, where six- and seven-figure salaries are readily available for top players in power-conference programs.
The line between amateurism and professionalism is pretty much impossible to see.
While that may be disappointing to some, the chaos of college football tends to be extremely entertaining.
These days, it's not just the coaches making more money than university presidents and shopping their services — it's the players, too.
Making good use of the transfer portal is pretty much a necessity to be a real contender.
Some teams get going Saturday in what's called Week 0 before the rest get going next week.
Here's a look at some of the top storylines:
All about Arch
Texas quarterback Arch Manning has been in the headlines for years, but this year might take it to a whole new level. The nephew of Peyton and Eli Manning will be eligible for the NFL Draft next year, so every play Arch makes will be under the microscope as he battles to join his famous uncles as a No. 1 pick.
After a slow start in his first year as starter last season, he elevated his game in the second half and led the Longhorns to a 10-3 record. With Auburn transfer Cam Coleman providing star power at receiver and a dominant offensive tackle in Trevor Goosby, Manning has an excellent supporting cast as the Longhorns push for a CFP shot.
Hoosiers stick with strategy
After capturing a national championship last season with transfer quarterback and 2026 No. 1 overall NFL pick Fernando Mendoza, brash Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti went back to the transfer portal this year.
This time, he landed TCU QB Josh Hoover. Cignetti has taken a previously poor program to the CFP the past two years, with Mendoza and Canadian QB Kurtis Rourke (an Ohio transfer) the previous season. We'll see if Cignetti can find the same kind of success with another experienced QB. Hoover won the Landry Award as the top high school player in the U.S. in 2021.
Smith leads Buckeyes
The top-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes just might have the best player in the country in wide receiver Jeremiah Smith. He has 2,558 receiving yards in 29 games over two seasons, including a run to the national title in 2024. Heisman finalist QB Julian Sayin returns to give the Buckeyes a true dynamic duo.
The bigger questions come on defence, with five Buckeyes from last season's unit going in the top two rounds of this year's NFL Draft.
Moore back with Ducks
Oregon QB Dante Moore was considered a potential No. 1 pick in this year's NFL Draft, but opted to return to the Ducks. Oregon's only two losses last year came against Indiana, including in the national semifinal.
Oregon is ranked second in the country this year, but they're part of a loaded Big Ten with Ohio State and Indiana.
Notre Dame eyes title run
A season-opening loss to eventual national runner-up Miami ended up putting the Hurricanes in the 12-team CFP and keeping Notre Dame out last year, one year after the Fighting Irish fell to Ohio State in the national championship game.
The Fighting Irish look poised to be a top contender this season. Returning quarterback CJ Carr was excellent last year in his first year as a starter and Leonard Moore is a lockdown cornerback.
LSU vs. Ole Miss
Lane Kiffin's latest controversial exit saw him leave Ole Miss before last year's CFP to take the reins at SEC rival LSU. Ole Miss went to the national semifinal under previous defensive co-ordinator Pete Golding, who is back at that school as head coach.
Kiffin, meanwhile, worked the transfer portal hard in the off-season and also is trying to land some NFLers battling the NCAA for a fifth year of eligibility — a court could end up determining the matters.
As if things weren't crazy enough at LSU, former star QB Jayden Daniels (now on the Washington Commanders) reportedly had a lawyer send a letter saying they can no longer use his name, image and likeness because another player now has his No. 5. OK, then.
Kiffin enters the campaign with the No. 11-ranked team in the AP poll. Circle Sept. 19 on your calendar. That's when Ole Miss hosts LSU in what's sure to be a hostile environment for Kiffin.
Ole Miss brings back star QB Trinidad Chambliss and running back Kewan Lacy. The Rebels are ranked ninth.
Can Hurricanes remain elite?
Miami's run to the national championship under hometown coach Mario Cristobal last year was one of the big stories in the sport as the program went through some dark days for much of the past 20 years.
Cristobal recruited Duke star QB Darian Mensah out of the transfer portal to replace Carson Beck. He's joined by returning receiver Malachi Toney, who led the country in catches last year, and star running back Mark Fletcher Jr.
The Hurricanes remain the team to beat in an underwhelming ACC, but time will tell whether they are good enough to make noise at the national level. A Nov. 7 showdown at Notre Dame should give fans a good idea of where both teams stand.
Can Underwood step up at Michigan?
Michigan quarterback Bryce Underwood was considered the top high-school recruit in the country last year, but expectations may have been a bit too high. He went 9-4 while completing 60.3 per cent of his passes with 11 touchdowns and nine interceptions.
Longtime Utah coach Kyle Whittingham was hired by the Wolverines this off-season to replace the fired Sherrone Moore.
Whittingham's top task is to help Underwood elevate his game. The Wolverines have road games at Oregon and Ohio State and a home contest against Indiana. It can't get much more challenging than that.
Belichick returns after bad first year at UNC
After the much-hyped hiring of Bill Belichick last season, North Carolina went just 4-8, including 2-6 in the ACC. The Tar Heels lost 48-14 to TCU in their season opener, and things didn't get much better as the season went on.
The Tar Heels aren't considered a favourite in the ACC this season, meaning Belichick's job security could become a hot topic. They open Saturday with a rematch against TCU in Dublin.
Speaking of celebrity coaches, Colorado's Deion Sanders also will be looking to rebound after going 3-9 last year. This week, a sheriff's deputy showed up on campus to try to serve him civil papers as part of a bankruptcy case involving his son, Shilo.
See what we mean about chaos?
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