The drought and waiting is almost over. The college football season starts on Aug. 29. On Monday, The Associated Press released its first Top 25 of the 2026 season. There are a pair of Big Ten schools atop the rankings. Notre Dame sits with fourth, sandwiched by SEC powers Georgia and Texas. Last year's national champ, Indiana, is in the sixth slot. A great time to look at the AP Top 25 heading into college football. First place votes in parentheses.
25. Missouri
24. Louisville
23. Houston
22. Iowa
21. Utah
20. Tennessee
19. SMU
18. Penn State
17. Washington
16. Michigan
t-14. Southern Cal
Toughest games:
t-14. BYU
13. Alabama
12. Texas Tech
11. LSU
10. Oklahoma
9. Ole Miss
8. Texas A&M
7. Miami (1)
6. Indiana (8)
5. Texas
4. Notre Dame (6)
3. Georgia
2. Oregon (14)
1. Ohio State (40)
This article originally appeared on The List Wire: First AP college football Top 25 poll released