The first AP Top 25 poll is out for the 2026 college football season and many regular contenders are featured. However, there are many schools that envy that position as they struggle to restore credibility in their program. The usual suspects of Georgia, Ohio State and Texas are all expected to have a strong year, but other schools might not be so lucky. MORE: Most underrated teams in CFB AP Top 25 In the case of certain programs buried at the bottom of their respective conferences reaching the College Football Playoff is a major pipe dream. Several schools haven’t sniffed a valuable postseason game in decades, including some from big conferences like the Big Ten and SEC. These are 7 college football teams with the longest AP Top 25 poll droughts heading into the 2026 season. Longest AP Top 25 poll college football droughts Stanford’s Andrew Luck walks of the field after losing the Fiesta Bowl between the Oklahoma State University Cowboys and the Stanford Cardinal. Osu101 Credit: USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect (Reuters) Rutgers Scarlet Knights – 218 straight polls missed West Virginia Mountaineers -117 polls missed Stanford Cardinal -115 polls missed Maryland Terrapins – 114 polls missed California Golden Bears – 112 polls missed Northwestern Wildcats – 82 polls missed Virginia Tech Hokies – 80 polls missed
Which CFB team breaks their AP drought first? pic.twitter.com/9qodWfvE5P — BetMGM 🦁 (@BetMGM) August 18, 2026 Breakout contender for 2026 season Members of the California Golden Bears football team huddle together before the game against the Colorado Buffaloes. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports Credit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect (Reuters) New head coach Tosh Lupoi could have a darkhorse ACC contender on his hands with Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele leading the way at quarterback. The Golden Bears finished 7-6 last season and boast a talented group of transfer players in 2026. MORE: 2026 full Big Ten CFB predictions: Indiana misses conference title game The biggest pathway to Cal reaching top 25 status is certainly their schedule. The Golden Bears won’t face any preseason ranked opponents, which is a huge win for the school. Cal’s Sept. 25 matchup against Clemson could be an early defining moment for their season. Last year, the Golden Bears lost all three ranked matchup against Syracuse, SMU and UNLV. — Enjoy free coverage of the top news & trending stories with The Big Lead Newsletter —