The first AP Top 25 Poll of the 2026 college football season has arrived, and it’s giving fans a lot to debate heading into the fall.
Last season’s national champion Indiana Hoosiers are the team that every school is chasing down in 2026. Curt Cignetti’s become the instant target for Big Ten and other college football programs.
However, the Hoosiers aren’t the top-ranked Big Ten program despite their historic title last season. The Ohio State Buckeyes and Oregon Ducks find themselves ranked above Indiana heading into Week 0.
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Meanwhile, other top College Football Playoff contenders feature Notre Dame and Texas, both of whom have a star quarterback leading the way. C.J. Carr and Arch Manning are expected to be firmly in the Heisman Trophy mix in 2026.
The debut AP Top 25 Poll dropped on Monday, August 17 as the college football season looms. Teams across America still have all the optimism in the world with the regular season kicking off in under two weeks.
Where does your favorite team stand in the updated AP Poll?
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Here’s a full look at the AP Top 25 poll of the 2026 college football season can be seen below.
2026 AP Top 25 Poll rankings- Preseason
MORE: 2026 College Football Playoff projection: Oregon, Notre Dame take top spots
BREAKING: Preseason College Football AP Poll🚨https://t.co/JL3USE6MnTpic.twitter.com/wImUOmUUg5
— On3 (@On3) August 17, 2026
- Ohio State Buckeyes
- Oregon Ducks
- Georgia Bulldogs
- Notre Dame Fighting Irish
- Texas Longhorns
- Indiana Hoosiers
- Miami (FL) Hurricanes
- Texas A&M Aggies
- Ole Miss Rebels
- Oklahoma Sooners
- LSU Tigers
- Texas Texas Red Raiders
- Alabama Crimson Tide
- BYU Cougars
- USC Trojans
- Michigan Wolverines
- Washington Huskies
- Penn State Nittany Lions
- SMU Mustangs
- Tennessee Volunteers
- Utah Utes
- Iowa Hawkeyes
- Houston Cougars
- Louisville Cardinals
- Missouri Tigers
Others receiving votes: Clemson 112, Florida 51, Boise State 43, Arizona 32, TCU 11, Navy 10, South Carolina 10, Illinois 9, Oklahoma State 8, Vanderbilt 8, Pittsburgh 7, Virginia Tech 6, Minnesota 5, UNLV 4, New Mexico 4, Georgia Tech 4, Louisiana 4, James Madison 3, Auburn 3, Memphis 2, California 2, Liberty 1, Western Michigan 1, Tulane 1, Virginia 1
About the AP Top 25 Poll
The Associated Press rankings carry more weight than polls like the Coaches Poll and FWAA Poll, as they are part of the deciding factor on which teams reach the College Football Playoff. The Coaches Poll, which is not part of the College Football Playoff selection committee’s formula to determine the four teams that will compete for the College Football Playoff National Championship, is voted on by 65 FBS head coaches.
The Associated Press began its college football poll on Oct. 19, 1936, and it is now the longest-running poll of those that award national titles at the end of the season. The preseason poll was started in 1950.
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