USA TODAY Sports recently employed the forthcoming College Football 27 video game to simulate the 2026 college football season, running the model 100 times to explore which programs might secure a spot in the expanded playoff.
The simulation places Miami at the top, with the Hurricanes appearing in 91 of the 100 runs, underscoring a strong projected performance for the team.
Not far behind, Ohio State makes the playoff in 85 of the simulations, while Texas Tech reaches the postseason in 66 runs, illustrating the depth of competition across the landscape.
Overall, nine programs break the 50% threshold, including Southern California, Notre Dame and Oklahoma, suggesting a broad pool of legitimate contenders.
Across the 138 Bowl Subdivision teams, 57 manage to break into the simulated playoff at least once, highlighting the unpredictability of the season.
The College Football 27 title is slated for a national release on July 9, and the model also shows that five of the eight teams that previously exceeded a 50% playoff rate last year repeat that achievement.
Simulation Insights
Beyond the raw numbers, the exercise offers a data‑driven glimpse into next season’s storylines, showing how digital modeling can complement traditional analysis and give fans a new perspective on the upcoming schedule.