The Associated Press revealed its first top 25 poll for the college football season, leaving fans with plenty to digest before the 2026 season gets underway later this month. What are our big takeaways from the first AP poll of 2026? Well, we've looked it up and down and come away with five big takeaways, from the team at the top to a team that didn't crack the 25. LSU cornerback breaks silence on Jayden Daniels jersey number:'It's the number I was promised' The team at the top shouldn't surprise anybody, but the team that missed the cut might raise some eyebrows. Let's run through our takeaways from the first poll and what this all may mean for the college football season. Jayden Daniels broke his silence on his LSU NIL fiasco
Your AP Top 25 1. Ohio St 2. Oregon 3. Georgia 4. Notre Dame 5. Texas 6. Indiana 7. Miami 8. A&M 9. Ole Miss 10. Oklahoma 11. LSU 12. Texas Tech 13. Alabama 14t. BYU 14t. USC 16. Michigan 17. Wash 18. Penn St 19. SMU 20. Tenn 21. Utah 22. Iowa 23. Houston 24. L'ville 25. Mizzou — Chris Vannini (@ChrisVannini) August 17, 2026
Others receiving votes: pic.twitter.com/gvtcih5dJJ — Chris Vannini (@ChrisVannini) August 17, 2026 1. Can Ohio State live up to the hype... again... again? It's no secret that people are bullish on the Buckeyes. Returning all that NFL-quality talent, including quarterback Julian Sayin and wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, with one of the best coaching staffs in the country is a big deal. It's Ohio State for crying out loud. We just expect the Buckeyes to factor in the title conversation at this point. However, it's lonely at the top. They'll get everyone's best every week; that can wear a team down. In a world where a school like Indiana can rise to the peak of the mountain, Ohio State can't rest on reputation. The work is still to be done. 2. Arch Manning's Texas makes the top five Is this Arch Manning's last season in college football? Could a down 2027 inspire him to stay in school another year? All eyes will be on Manning and how he plays this season, as it will have massive ramifications on college and professional football. If Manning plays like one of his uncles, he's all but assured to be the top pick in next year's NFL Draft and should have the Longhorns in title contention. If Manning falters, it's possible he transfers or sticks around in Texas for another year. Manning staying stagnant would not bode well for Steve Sarkisian's future with the program, either. A lot is riding on Manning taking a big leap this season; his development is a top college storyline. 3. The champs register at six without Fernando Mendoza Indiana winning the national title last year hasn't given the AP poll reason enough to assume they'll do it again. The Hoosiers registered at six, which makes sense when you consider that quarterback Fernando Mendoza left for the NFL. Can Curt Cignetti mean-mug his magic for another CFP run? It'll be as tall a task as any this season, to be sure. 4. Ole Miss ahead of Lane Kiffin's LSU by a couple of spots The AP poll gave more confidence to the Trinidad Chambliss-led Ole Miss than Lane Kiffin's LSU, ranking the former ninth and the latter 11th. Kiffin's messy exit from Oxford will make that Tigers Sept. 19 game at Ole Miss one of the marquee events of the college football season. The expectations on Kiffin will be astronomical in Baton Rouge, and we're sure Ole Miss would love to hand their old coach a big loss as Tigers fans watch his old team get the best of him. The only thing we can count on is Kiffin to receive a generational chorus of boos once he takes the field. 5. Clemson doesn't make the cut Could this be Dabo Swinney's final stand in Death Valley? While Clemson received 112 votes for the poll, the Tigers did not make the top-25 ranking. While Clemson could easily find their way into the ranking as the season unfolds, it's a bit strange to see a Swinney Clemson team go into the fall unranked. Could this be billboard material? A sign of things to come? We're not sure, but how Clemson plays this year could determine Swinney's future with the team. This article originally appeared on For The Win: AP Top 25 takeaways: 2026's first poll leaves CFB powerhouse off list