College Football Is Back, Baby | Week 0 Picks & 2026 Sleeper Teams

College football is back — and so is James, back alongside Seth as The Preferred Walk-On Show kicks off its seventh season.Before the first full Saturday of the season, we’re putting some early 2026 takes on tape: the teams nobody is talking about enough, potential conference disruptors, a Group of Six playoff sleeper and our picks for 10 of the most interesting games on the Week 0 slate.Could Syracuse make noise in the ACC with a healthy Steve Angeli? Is Houston a legitimate Big 12 title contender under Willie Fritz? How dangerous could Missouri be with Austin Simmons? And could Navy actually find its way into the College Football Playoff?Then, Week 0 picks, including:🏈 William & Mary vs. Villanova🏈 TCU vs. North Carolina in Dublin🏈 San Jose State vs. USC🏈 NC State vs. Virginia🏈 Jacksonville State vs. North Dakota State🏈 Monmouth vs. Tennessee Tech🏈 Eastern Kentucky vs. Western Carolina🏈 Stephen F. Austin vs. McNeese🏈 Hawaii vs. Stanford🏈 Memphis vs. UNLVPlus: the Fran Brown factor at Syracuse, why Seth came away impressed with SMU at ACC Media Days, Willie Fritz’s rebuild at Houston, the FargoDome advantage, a little William & Mary homerism and why “Week Zero” deserves a much better name.College football Saturdays are back.And as Buck Showalter once said: the good old days are right now.If you enjoyed this conversation, subscribe to The Preferred Walk-On Show for in-depth interviews with the coaches, players, and leaders shaping college football. New episodes every week.The Preferred Walk-On is the people's college football show. Hosted by Seth Saunders, with James Kehm joining as featured co-host, the show covers college football's full Division I landscape: every Power Four conference, every Group of Six matchup, and every corner of the FCS. Walk-On grit. All-American tape.Apple Podcasts & Spotify — search "The Preferred Walk-On Show"Instagram — @preferredwalk_onTikTok — @preferredwalkonFacebook — facebook.com/PreferredWalkOnX / Twitter — @PreferredWOInquiries: [email protected] grit. All-American film.