Three reasons why Western Michigan can make the 2026 College Football Playoff

The Mid-American Conference and College Football Playoff share zero history through 12 years.

Not even the first two seasons of the expanded 12-team playoff granted access to the MAC. However, 2026 presents as strong as a CFP contender as the MAC has ever seen. And it's the reigning champion decked in brown and gold stationed in Kalamazoo, Michigan.

Here are three reasons why the Western Michigan Broncos enter the preseason with as strong of a case of a playoff run as any MAC team in the CFP era:

Impressive roster retention

Throughout the 2020s, the All-MAC teams are essentially shopping lists for bigger spenders in the portal. Take a look at recent MAC Offensive Players of the Year and MAC MVPs such as Dequan Finn (transferred to Baylor), Peny Boone (transferred to UCF) and Kurtis Rourke (transferred to Indiana).

In the current environment surrounding college athletics, it has become increasingly harder for MAC teams to retain their star talent, but Western Michigan had zero problem doing so this offseason.

The Broncos bring back the reigning MAC Offensive Player of the Year in Broc Lowry who posted 1,803 passing yards, 963 rushing yards, and 23 total touchdowns (nine passing, 14 rushing) while leading the Broncos to a 10-1 record in games he started. The ground-centric offense also retains a two-time 1,000-yard rusher in Jalen Buckley. Buckley went scorched-earth mode at the end of last season, dropping 193 yards and two touchdowns in the MAC Championship win over Miami (OH) and then an additional 174 yards and a score in the Myrtle Beach Bowl domination of Kennesaw State — doing the latter on eight carries and in under than two quarters of action.

The Broncos not only retain their star rushers but two of their leading receivers in Aveion Chenault and Baylin Brooks, as well as the majority of an offensive line which paved the path for the NCAA's 16th-ranked rushing attack, including both starting guards (Hunter Whitenack and Gavin Dabo) and right tackle Chad Schuster.

Western's defense features more of a rebuild considering the departure of coordinator Chris O'Leary to the Los Angeles Chargers, and the losses of MAC Defensive Player of the Year Nadame Tucker and leading tacklers James Camden, Sefa Saiapaia, and Tate Hallock.

Still, the Broncos return four starting defensive backs (Jarvarius Sims, Joshua Franklin, Joey Pope, and Micah Davis) from an aerial defense which ranked 18th in fewest passing yards surrendered (179.9) and 12th in lowest opponent completion percentage (55.4). And to ease the transition from 2025 to 2026, the Broncos went with an internal defensive coordinator hire in Greer Martini who coached the linebackers last season.

Western Michigan did not lose a single offensive or defensive starter to the transfer portal, which is unheard of in the MAC these days. The transfer portal was still heavily utilized, but mainly to fill in the vacancies left behind by the Nadame Tuckers and James Camdens of the roster (who were both highly successful first-year transfers last season). The players with eligibility stayed loyal to head coach Lance Taylor in Kalamazoo, with their eyes fixated on becoming the first repeat MAC champions since 2011 and 2012 Northern Illinois.

Statement game vs. Boise State... at home

In order to qualify for the College Football Playoff as a MAC program, the non-conference slate arguably matters more than conference play — even though a conference title is a prerequisite. Without a signature non-conference highlight on the résumé, any CFP application can be tossed in a waste bin.

The great thing for Western Michigan — it is granted two massive opportunities to make a statement in September, and winning either game would catapult it into the CFP conversation. The first is a Week 1 matchup at the Big House vs. Michigan (a game which was briefly in talks to move to Germany before remaining in Ann Arbor).

Michigan is ushering in a new era with Kyle Whittingham as head coach, and there are new coordinators around him. Even amidst the changes, the Wolverines will still enter as heavy favorites with seven returning offensive starters led by quarterback Bryce Underwood, but they're not unbeatable. Just one year ago, New Mexico trailed 27-17 in the fourth quarter of Week 1 at the Big House before tossing a costly interception around midfield.

That's a great opportunity for Western Michigan to strike, but perhaps a more important game for the Broncos looms three weeks later on Saturday, Sept. 26 when they face a different kind of Bronco.

Western Michigan hosts Boise State in Kalamazoo, and a victory that day is paramount for several reasons. One, Boise State is the Pac-12 preseason favorite. The Broncos are fresh off three-straight conference championships and leveraged one of those championships to a CFP appearance in 2024. If Western Michigan establishes supremacy over the Pac-12 champion, that data point could do wonders for MAC vs. Pac comparisons for the remainder of the year.

Remember, the five highest-ranked conference champions each clinch playoff spots. If a CFP spot comes down to a MAC champion Western Michigan and a Pac-12 champion — especially if it's Boise State — the events that transpired on Sept. 26 would certainly be at the forefront of the conversation. And it helps immensely that the game is in Kalamazoo rather than the blue turf of Albertsons Stadium.

Chaos atop the American

As mentioned earlier, the five highest-ranked conference champions qualify for the CFP. Last season, the ACC was an unusual odd man out when its champion Duke lost the final spot to James Madison due to a horrific non-conference showing. However, the ACC announced it will adjust its tiebreaker procedures to prevent this from happening, although the exact details have yet to be revealed.

The possibility for another ACC debacle exists, but in all likelihood, a MAC champion will have to compete with champions from the American Conference, Pac-12, Mountain West, Sun Belt, and Conference USA for a spot among the five highest-ranked conference champions. In most years in the CFP era, the American would have solidified a spot under this 12-team format. However, there is enough chaos at the top of that conference which could keep the door ajar for a MAC champion Western Michigan.

Four of the top American teams from last season (Tulane, North Texas, South Florida, and Memphis) saw their head coaches get poached, and massive roster turnover followed at each school. Tulane retains five starters, South Florida three, Memphis one, and North Texas zero, leaving four contenders to start anew.

Other contenders in that league are the service academies Army and Navy, and we have yet to see how the committee would react to a CFP-contending service academy, considering the playoff field is set the first weekend of December, prior to the Army-Navy Game which transpires six days later.

Western Michigan fans might remember the 2016 debates between the Broncos and Navy for a spot in the Cotton Bowl (Western Michigan was ranked No. 17 heading into conference championship weekend, while Navy was ranked No. 19), and the possibility of the committee delaying the Cotton Bowl matchup announcement due to the Army-Navy Game. However, Navy's upset loss to Temple in the American Championship prematurely ended that conversation.

Anyway, chaos in the American Conference is a necessity for Western Michigan to qualify for the playoff, and the amount of personnel and roster turnover atop the conference plays into the Broncos' favor.

And that completes the formula needed to sneak into the playoff:

Multi-loss American champion + a win over Boise State + a 12-1 record with a second-straight MAC championship = Western Michigan's most realistic path to the CFP in 2026.

Yes, there are concerns to address.

Restocking the depleted defensive front is Western Michigan's primary obstacle barricading it from a second-straight MAC championship. Chris O'Leary engineered a formidable defense in 2025 which ranked ninth nationally in points allowed per game, and now he is gone. Replacing Nadame Tucker — the nation's reigning sacks and tackles for loss leader — won't be easy either, but Western Michigan focused heavily on replenishing its defensive line through the portal, bringing in the likes of Ahmed Tounkara (Ohio State), Austin Alexander (North Carolina), and Zavian Tibbs (Houston) — three defensive linemen, like Tucker, who saw minimal playing time at their previous stops and seek a magnificent breakout season in Kalamazoo.

Overall, Western Michigan is in a favorable position. It's a highly-experienced roster, especially on the offensive side. Lance Taylor and a strong portion of his staff remain. And the schedule provides opportunities for signature victories to impress the CFP committee, which aren't always present on the schedules of MAC contenders.

The MAC will almost always be a longshot for the College Football Playoff, but the 2026 Western Michigan Broncos are the best card the conference has been dealt of the playoff era now that access is more feasible in a 12-team field.