Preseason AP Poll Predictions: Where the Top 25 Teams Will Rank Ahead of 2026

Preseason rankings are hardly prescriptive. Only one of the top four teams from a season ago even finished in the top 25.

Texas, the 2025 preseason No. 1 squad, finished 12th and narrowly missed out on the College Football Playoff. Penn State, the No. 2 team this time last year, fired its head coach. And Clemson, which opened in the No. 4 slot, went on to play the Nittany Lions in the Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl, a far cry from the Orange Bowl or Cotton Bowl.

So does this mean preseason predictions don't matter? That we should do away with the practice entirely and start ranking teams in October after a few games have been played? Some would argue yes, but I disagree.

There's value in putting proverbial pen to paper before the pads come on. Preseason rankings set the tone for the early throes of the return to college football, but they are not gospel. Respected writers and analysts adjust their priors as the season evolves.

• Related: College Football’s Preseason Top 25 Rankings for 2026

And after all, these rankings are for the fans. They're certainly not for the coaches and players, who dub poor opinions to be bulletin board material and praise as rat poison.

The preseason poll is not perfect (nor are the weekly rankings, for that matter). Only two teams this century — 2017 Alabama and 2004 USC — went on to win it all after starting the season in the No. 1 spot. But for as wrong as the voters got the top four last season, six of the eight preseason teams in 2024 made the CFP, including both title game participants.

College football is almost back. And remember, it's supposed to be fun! So ahead of Monday's release of the preseason AP Top 25 poll, enjoy our predictions of the voters' picks and see how they stack up against Athlon's top 25 and the coaches poll.

● 2026 CFB Preview:Top 138 Team Rankings | All-America Teams | Playoff Predictions | Bowl Projections

Preseason AP Top 25 Poll Prediction for 2026

25. Boise State

The Broncos were a somewhat surprising omission in the coaches poll. I'm anticipating a bit more love from the AP voters for what is pretty definitively the top team in the Group of 6.

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Athlon Sports Ranking: 24
Coaches Poll Ranking: NR (36)

24. Louisville

If the Cardinals do crack the preseason top 25, it would be their first appearance since 2017, Lamar Jackson's final season in college. Expectations might not be quite that high for this Louisville team, but Jeff Brohm has built a consistent winner worthy of praise.

Athlon SportsRanking: 23
Coaches Poll Ranking: NR (26)

23. SMU

The Mustangs are one of the winningest teams in college football since coach Rhett Lashlee arrived, and that success has continued in the ACC. SMU is one of the few teams in the conference that can challenge Miami and is on to track to start a second straight season ranked, something it hasn't done since the 1980s.

Athlon Sports Ranking: 22
Coaches Poll Ranking: 20

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22. Iowa

The Hawkeyes are coming off their highest finish in the AP poll since 2020, and they're set up for their best preseason position since 2021. Iowa is always solid under head coach Kirk Ferentz, who has earned the benefit of the doubt after almost three decades in charge.

Athlon Sports Ranking: 25
Coaches Poll Ranking: 22

21. Tennessee

It will be interesting to see where the Volunteers slot in. Last season was the first time since coach Josh Heupel's debut in 2021 that Tennessee did not finish in the top 25. The roster is in a good spot and the defense should be better, but quarterback remains an open question.

Athlon Sports Ranking: 21
Coaches Poll Ranking: 18

20. Utah

The Utes are coming off their winningest season since 2019 and could challenge for the Big 12 title. Longtime coach Kyle Whittingham has moved on, but one of the conference's most respected programs should still be in good hands as Morgan Scalley takes over for his old boss.

Athlon Sports Ranking: 20
Coaches Poll Ranking: 21

19. Houston

The Cougars bring back the core of a 10-win team that took the Big 12 by surprise last season. The coaches poll was surprisingly low on Houston, which projects to crack the preseason top 25 for just the third time this century.

Athlon Sports Ranking: 19
Coaches Poll Ranking: 24

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18. Washington

The last time the Huskies began the season ranked they made a run all the way to the national title game in 2023. That seems unlikely this season given the schedule ahead. However, bringing back quarterback Demond Williams Jr. bodes well for Washington.

Athlon Sports Ranking: 17
Coaches Poll Ranking: 19

17. Penn State

Last season was a rousing disappointment for the Nittany Lions, who opened the season No. 2 in the AP poll, fired their coach before Halloween and went on to finish unranked. Expectations are cautiously optimistic for Matt Campbell's Penn State debut considering the schedule ahead and how much of a strong Iowa State roster he brought with him to Happy Valley.

Athlon Sports Ranking: 18
Coaches Poll Ranking: 17

16. USC

It's now or never for Lincoln Riley in Los Angeles. His Trojans began 2025 unranked for the first time since 2019 but finished in the top 25 for the first time since his debut in 2022. USC's offense will be as strong as ever. Plus, the hire of former TCU coach Gary Patterson to call the defense should shore up that side of the ball. But the voters might not be as convinced as the coaches that this team is ready to take the next step.

Athlon Sports Ranking: 14
Coaches Poll Ranking: 14

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15. Michigan

It's been a strange few years for the Wolverines, between an undefeated national championship run and the unceremonious ousting of a head coach. But here comes Whittingham to steady the ship. He's won with less at Utah for years, and this Michigan roster is not wanting for talent.

Athlon Sports Ranking: 13
Coaches Poll Ranking: 16

14. BYU

The Cougars' biggest win this offseason was hanging onto coach Kalani Sitake. With so many starters back from a team that has finished in the top 15 in back-to-back seasons and just played for the Big 12 championship, BYU is deserving of what could be its highest preseason position this century.

Athlon Sports Ranking: 16
Coaches Poll Ranking: 15

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13. Alabama

The Crimson Tide are an interesting litmus test heading into 2026. They were embarrassed by Georgia in the SEC championship and again by Indiana in the CFP quarterfinals. And Alabama has an unsettled quarterback battle. Then again, there aren't a ton of teams that have won more than the Tide in two years under Kalen DeBoer, who was always going to have a tough time living up to Nick Saban. Alabama hasn't been ranked outside of the preseason top 10 since 2008, Saban's second season.

Athlon Sports Ranking: 15
Coaches Poll Ranking: 11

12. Texas Tech

The Red Raiders are another curious case. They were widely accepted as far and away the best team in the Big 12, but they might also be a step below the true national championship contenders as last season's playoff run demonstrated. There's also the small matter of Texas Tech's chaotic offseason news cycle centered around former quarterback Brendan Sorsby. Just outside of the top 10 feels right for a team with this much talent that still has some questions about its ceiling.

Athlon Sports Ranking: 12
Coaches Poll Ranking: 12

11. LSU

Feelings about Lane Kiffin might be difficult to distinguish from opinions of the Tigers. But this team, predictably built out of the transfer portal, is legit. While forecasts for LSU are all over the map, the national championship expectation is clear. Now can the Bayou Bengals deliver? Only time will tell. Indiana won the whole thing last season as the preseason No. 20 team, so a spot outside the top 10 is hardly disqualifying.

Athlon Sports Ranking: 10
Coaches Poll Ranking: 13

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10. Ole Miss

The Rebels and Tigers will truly be inseparable this season — before, during and after their Sept. 19 grudge match. There are some questions about what Ole Miss will look like with the offensive brain trust gone in Pete Golding's first full season as the head coach. But bringing back quarterback Trinidad Chambliss and running back Kewan Lacy alone is enough for the Rebels to get the benefit of the doubt on heels of their best season in modern history.

Athlon Sports Ranking: 11
Coaches Poll Ranking: 10

9. Texas A&M

The last few times the Aggies debuted in the top 10, their seasons did not go as planned. But coach Mike Elko has raised the floor in College Station. It feels like Texas A&M is the SEC team no one is talking about heading into 2026, and maybe that's a good thing. This team still has a Longhorn-sized problem at the end of the schedule, but it has answered seemingly every other question.

Athlon Sports Ranking: 9
Coaches Poll Ranking: 8

8. Oklahoma

Good defense? Check. Good offense? Perhaps. That's the question that will decide the Sooners' ceiling. They clearly weren't the same team after John Mateer's injury last season, but that they still made it to the CFP bodes well for Oklahoma's chances to return to the 12-team field this fall.

Athlon Sports Ranking: 8
Coaches Poll Ranking: 9

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7. Miami

The Hurricanes just had their best season in two decades and then enjoyed an equally successful offseason. Even then, it's hard to push Miami up any further than this, which would still be its highest preseason position since 2018. Mario Cristobal has improved the 'Canes each season he's been in charge at his alma mater. And after a national championship runner-up finish, the next step is obvious.

Athlon Sports Ranking: 7
Coaches Poll Ranking: 7

6. Indiana

The Hoosiers are sure to receive plenty of first-place votes — just like they did in the coaches poll. They are the undefeated, defending national champions, after all. And since people started Googling Curt Cignetti, they've lost all of two games, both to the teams that played for the 2024 title. Indiana enjoyed a stellar offseason and should be set up to defend its title, but there are still a handful of rosters in a better place on paper heading into 2026.

Athlon Sports Ranking: 5
Coaches Poll Ranking: 6

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5. Notre Dame

Revenge is top of mind for the Fighting Irish, who won 10 in a row to end last season and then opted out of a bowl game after their CFP exclusion. Notre Dame has a lot to prove after that reaction, but coach Marcus Freeman put together a team that will leave nothing to chance this time around. This will likely be the third year in a row the Irish debut in the top 10.

Athlon Sports Ranking: 4
Coaches Poll Ranking: 5

4. Texas

Last season's preseason No. 1 team finished outside the top 10 and missed the playoff. But that outcome will not scare voters off the Longhorns' scent given coach Steve Sarkisian's ability to add and retain top-flight talent. Texas is on its way to a third consecutive top-five preseason ranking. But will this team live up to its sky-high potential?

Athlon Sports Ranking: 3
Coaches Poll Ranking: 4

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3. Oregon

The Ducks have been circling their first national championship for years. They've lost just three games in the past two years, and they all came against teams that won the title. Oregon hasn't been back to the championship since the inaugural CFP, and poor postseason draws are a big reason why. But it seems that coach Dan Lanning has assembled a team more than capable of breaking through.

Athlon Sports Ranking: 6
Coaches Poll Ranking: 2

2. Georgia

This will be the Bulldogs' 10th consecutive appearance in the preseason top five. The machine that coach Kirby Smart has built Georgia into is becoming underappreciated. Yes, it's been a while since the Bulldogs — and the SEC at large — made a run to the championship game. But the winningest team of the decade plays in Athens and is fully capable of ending that drought.

Athlon Sports Ranking: 2
Coaches Poll Ranking: 3

1. Ohio State

What's even left to say about the Buckeyes? They have the best player in the sport in wideout Jeremiah Smith and one of its best quarterbacks in Julian Sayin. Coach Ryan Day seems to have solved his Michigan problem, too. Ohio State's two losses last season came to the teams that played for the national championship, and no team played Indiana tighter. The schedule is tough once again, but the roster is readymade to weather it and the stress of a deep playoff run. If OSU does debut at No. 1, it would be the first time since 2015.

Athlon Sports Ranking: 1
Coaches Poll Ranking: 1

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