Bull & Bear · 2026 FBS Preview

The Board Says Bounce Back

Florida is the buy that matters most, a 4-8 finish that still grades out at No. 18 nationally, meaning last season's record undersold the roster far more than the four other teams on this list. Arkansas and Oklahoma State back up the theme from the same conferences, with a 2-10 and 1-11 record respectively hiding rosters rated No. 47 and No. 54, and every buy on the board comes from a power conference, a sign these were talent bases that simply lost close games or dealt with bad breaks rather than a talent gap. The sell side flips the logic entirely and skews Group of 5, with North Dakota State backing up a 12-1 finish yet rating just No. 100 and Kennesaw State's 10-4 mark grading out at No. 106, records built more on schedule than sustainable roster strength. UConn is the biggest regression risk of all, a 9-4 season that still lands at No. 114 nationally, the widest gap on either side of the board.