Now we can finally look ahead to the start of college football season, and with that, the picture of 2026 as a whole starts to come into focus.Speaking of the Big Ten, after looking through the conference's predicted order of finish, I have zeroed in on one dark horse that my shock a ton of people this coming season.ONE OF THESE EIGHT COLLEGE FOOTBALL TEAMS WILL BE HOISTING THE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP TROPHY IN 2026I have been seeing the USC Trojans getting a lot of love as a "sleeper" in the Big Ten conference, and while I really like how 2026 is shaping up for Lincoln Riley and the Men of Troy, they were picked to finish fourth by the media.I wanted something a little more exciting, and after scrolling a little deeper down the list of teams, I think I may have found my Big Ten sleeper.All the way down at seventh – not a doormat but certainly not a favorite either – you'll find the Washington Huskies, and I absolutely love what they have going on heading into the season.INDIANA'S CURT CIGNETTI ROASTS THE SEC AS ESPN STARTS THEIR PROMOTIONAL CAMPAIGN ALREADY: 'WE DON'T WHINE'Demond Williams Jr.of the Washington Huskies passes against the Oregon Ducks during the first half at Husky Stadium on Nov.
29, 2025 in Seattle, Washington.(Steph Chambers/Getty Images)For Washington, it starts at the top with head coach Jedd Fisch.This might be my bias showing, but Fisch was my top pick for the Florida Gators when it became obvious that Lane Kiffin was heading elsewhere.
I believe he's one hell of a coach, but the numbers back this up, as well.Fisch's previous stop before arriving in Seattle was with the Arizona Wildcats, and in year one he inherited a mess of a program, bottoming out at 1-11.INDIANA COACH CURT CIGNETTI BECOMES UNSTOPPABLE THANKS TO LATEST DEVELOPMENT ON RECRUITING TRAILYear two was appreciably better at 5-7, but still nothing to write home about.In year three, however, Fisch and the Wildcats were the talk of college football, shocking everyone with a 10-3 ...