Ohio State, Oregon Make History at Top of AP Preseason Top 25
Big Ten powers become first conference to hold No. 1 and No. 2 spots in the preseason poll since 1961.
The Big Ten begins the 2026 college football season with history on its side.
Photo courtesy The Ohio State
Ohio State and Oregon were ranked No. 1 and No. 2, respectively, in the Associated Press preseason Top 25 released Monday, marking the first time in 65 years — and only the second time ever — that the conference has occupied the top two positions in the preseason poll.
The Buckeyes received 40 first-place votes from the 69 media members participating in the poll, while Oregon received 14.
Ohio State earned 1,672 total points, while Oregon finished with 1,597.
The last conference to place two teams at the top of the preseason poll was the Big Eight in 1987, when Oklahoma and Nebraska opened the season ranked first and second.
The Big Ten last accomplished the feat in 1961, when Iowa and Ohio State occupied the top two spots.
Ohio State Returns to No. 1
Ohio State enters the season ranked No. 1 for the ninth time in program history and for the first time since 2015.
The Buckeyes' nine preseason No. 1 appearances are tied with Alabama for second-most all time, trailing only Oklahoma's 10.
Ohio State went 12-2 last season and enters 2026 with expectations of making another run at a national championship.
The Buckeyes are also attempting to become the 12th team in AP poll history to start and finish a season ranked No. 1.
The last team to accomplish that feat was Alabama in 2017.
Ohio State has finished No. 1 in the final AP poll six times: 1942, 1954, 1968, 2002, 2014 and 2024.
The path to another championship will not be easy.
Ohio State opens Big Ten play with several significant challenges, including a Sept. 12 road trip to face No. 5 Texas. The Buckeyes will also face No. 6 Indiana on the road and No. 2 Oregon at home.
Five of Ohio State's nine conference games are against teams ranked in the preseason Top 25.
Oregon Earns Highest Preseason Ranking in Program History
Oregon enters the season at No. 2, the highest preseason ranking in program history.
The Ducks had previously opened the season No. 3 four times.
Oregon went 13-2 last season and enters 2026 as one of the Big Ten's primary championship contenders.
The Ducks received 14 first-place votes, trailing only Ohio State among the nation's ranked teams.
Oregon's placement also continues a remarkable stretch for the Big Ten, which has placed at least two teams among the top three in the preseason rankings for four consecutive seasons.
The conference has also won three straight College Football Playoff championships, with Michigan, Ohio State and Indiana each claiming titles during that stretch.
A fourth consecutive championship would establish an unprecedented run.
Georgia, Notre Dame and Texas Round Out Top Five
Georgia enters the season at No. 3, followed closely by Notre Dame at No. 4 and Texas at No. 5.
Georgia received no first-place votes but earned 1,513 points.
Notre Dame received six first-place votes and finished with 1,510 points, while Texas collected 1,483 points.
The Bulldogs are ranked inside the preseason top five for the ninth consecutive season, continuing one of the longest stretches of preseason expectations in college football.
Notre Dame enters the season with its highest preseason ranking since 2006.
The Fighting Irish also bring a 10-game winning streak into the season and have quarterback CJ Carr among the players expected to contend for the Heisman Trophy.
Texas, meanwhile, begins the season in the preseason top five for the third consecutive year.
Quarterback Arch Manning will be one of the biggest storylines surrounding the Longhorns as he enters his second season as the team's full-time starter.
Texas also faces one of the nation's most demanding schedules.
The Longhorns are scheduled to play seven teams ranked in the preseason Top 25, tied for the most ever by a preseason top-five team in the AP poll era.
Texas also has four games against preseason top-10 opponents.
Indiana Begins National Title Defense at No. 6
The defending national champion Indiana Hoosiers open the season ranked No. 6.
Indiana made history last season by becoming the first team in the modern era to finish 16-0.
Despite the undefeated championship season, the Hoosiers are the third defending national champion in the College Football Playoff era to begin the following season outside the top five.
Michigan opened No. 9 in 2024 after winning the 2023 national championship, while LSU opened No. 6 in 2020 following its 2019 title.
Indiana's transition at quarterback is one reason voters may have tempered expectations.
Heisman Trophy winner and No. 1 NFL draft pick Fernando Mendoza is gone, with TCU transfer Josh Hooverexpected to take over.
Still, the Hoosiers return significant talent and added a top-10 transfer class.
Miami, Texas A&M and Ole Miss Round Out Top 10
Miami is No. 7 after receiving one first-place vote.
Texas A&M is No. 8, followed by Ole Miss at No. 9 and Oklahoma at No. 10.
Texas A&M returns to the preseason top 10 for the first time since 2022.
Oklahoma's No. 10 ranking represents its first preseason top-10 appearance since that same 2022 season.
The Sooners will immediately face a major test when they travel to No. 16 Michigan on Sept. 12.
That same weekend, Ohio State travels to No. 5 Texas, creating one of the season's first major opportunities for the Big Ten and SEC to settle some of the preseason debate surrounding conference strength.
SEC Leads the Country With Nine Ranked Teams
The Southeastern Conference once again leads all conferences with nine teams in the preseason Top 25.
Five SEC teams are ranked among the top 10, marking the first time the conference has accomplished that since 2013.
The SEC's ranked teams are:
Georgia — No. 3
Texas — No. 5
Texas A&M — No. 8
Ole Miss — No. 9
Oklahoma — No. 10
LSU — No. 11
Alabama — No. 13
Tennessee — No. 20
Missouri — No. 25
Alabama's No. 13 ranking ends a remarkable streak for the Crimson Tide.
The program had been ranked inside the preseason top 10 for 17 consecutive seasons, the second-longest streak in AP poll history.
Only USC's 19-year run from 1965-83 was longer.
Complete 2026 AP Preseason Top 25
Ohio State — 1,672 points (40 first-place votes)
Oregon — 1,597 (14)
Georgia — 1,513
Notre Dame — 1,510 (6)
Texas — 1,483
Indiana — 1,440 (8)
Miami — 1,379 (1)
Texas A&M — 1,131
Ole Miss — 1,102
Oklahoma — 1,047
LSU — 988
Texas Tech — 983
Alabama — 904
BYU — 839
Southern California — 839
Michigan — 718
Washington — 501
Penn State — 482
SMU — 434
Tennessee — 394
Utah — 304
Iowa — 260
Houston — 252
Louisville — 194
Missouri — 117
BYU and Southern California are tied at No. 14, resulting in 25 teams appearing in the poll.
Big Ten, SEC Set for Early Showdown
The preseason rankings have already established a clear storyline for the 2026 season: the battle between the Big Ten and SEC.
The Big Ten enters the year with the top two teams in the country and three of the top six.
The SEC counters with five teams inside the top 10 and nine overall.
That debate will begin to take shape quickly.
On Sept. 12, No. 1 Ohio State travels to No. 5 Texas, while No. 10 Oklahoma visits No. 16 Michigan.
Those games could provide an early indication of whether the preseason rankings accurately reflect the balance of power between the nation's two most heavily represented conferences.
For now, though, the Big Ten owns the top of the mountain.
Ohio State is No. 1. Oregon is No. 2.
And for the first time in 65 years, the preseason AP Top 25 begins with the same conference occupying both spots.
