Tomorrow’s Top 25 Today: Big Ten Takeover in the Top Five in New College Football Rankings

The wait is almost over for college football fans as the first AP Top 25 poll of the 2026 season is set to be released on Monday. The rankings, scheduled to be announced around noon ET, will provide the first glimpse into the pecking order of the nation’s top teams.

Source: sportshub.cbsistatic.com

The AP Top 25 poll, which has been a staple of college football history since 1936, is a key indicator of the teams that are likely to compete for the national championship. While the College Football Playoff Rankings will ultimately determine the bracket for the national championship, the AP Top 25 poll remains a crucial part of the college football conversation.

In preparation for the release of the new rankings, we’ll be taking a closer look at the top 25 teams and predicting how they’ll fare in the preseason poll. Based on the widespread availability of preseason rankings and power polls, we’ve established some tiers among the top teams that should remain consistent throughout the season.

Ranking the Top 25 Teams

Here’s how we project the AP Top 25 poll to look when the preseason rankings are released on Monday:

• Ohio State: With a continuity factor that contributes to their advantages when comparing top teams, Ohio State is likely to start at the top of the poll. The 2026 squad is headlined by the same coach, quarterback, and star player as the 2025 team, which had Heisman finalist Julian Sayin and All-American wide receiver Jeremiah Smith garnering 61 of 66 first-place votes.
• Oregon: Dan Lanning’s teams have finished inside the top four of the AP poll in each of the last two seasons, making the Ducks a high-floor proposition for voters. With all the talent and production returning, Oregon is likely to start in the top four.
• Texas: The AP voters put the Longhorns in the top spot heading into last season, and even though they under-performed expectations in 2025, Texas is still a talented team that can’t be put too far down a ballot. With the buzz of Arch Manning Year 2 and some shiny portal additions, the Longhorns could receive some first-place votes.
• Indiana: The Hoosiers got the second-most first-place votes (14) in the Coaches Poll yet finished sixth in voting points. This suggests that the AP voters might be less likely to go rogue with a negative opinion on Curt Cignetti. Indiana’s rise is one of the sign-of-the-times sports stories of the decade, shattering expectations for what can and cannot be accomplished in modern college football.
• Notre Dame: The offseason review of CJ Carr’s performance in 2025 has powered his Heisman Trophy candidacy, and the idea that this year’s Fighting Irish team not only has the schedule but the squad to be a national title contender all season long is gaining traction. However, where Notre Dame falls among this top five will likely depend on how many of this year’s voters are trying to predict the final rankings.
• Georgia: We’ve already seen multiple times this decade where Georgia enters as preseason No. 1 in both major polls, but last season that was not the case. The Dawgs might get more respect from their peers than they do from the media, which could be swayed by mock draft quarterbacks and splashy transfer portal additions.
• Miami: AP voters were more bullish on Miami out of the gate than the Coaches Poll last season, but the Hurricanes could be facing the same uphill battle in this set of rankings. A No. 7 spot is fair for a program that has 23 wins, but also six losses, across the last two seasons.
• Oklahoma: Anything from No. 8 to No. 13 is a fair landing spot for Oklahoma and the other teams in this grouping. Our prediction for the Sooners getting the nod falls in line with some general support for Brent Venables’ group coming off a playoff appearance in 2025.
• Ole Miss: Trinidad Chambliss’ triumphant run to the College Football Playoff semifinals set up Ole Miss for a season of real expectations as Pete Golding grabs hold of a Rebels program that could have easily descended into chaos. Golding’s ability to keep the train on the tracks as the transition unfolded in real time was impressive, and now it’s set the standard for a modern SEC power that’s seen as a contender again in 2026.
• Texas A&M: Last season’s AP voters didn’t quite believe the record for a lot of last season with Texas A&M. On paper, if there was an SEC team carrying an undefeated record into November with multiple road wins against ranked teams, it would have gotten more first-place consideration than the Aggies did in 2025.
• Texas Tech: It’s possible that Texas Tech will pay some public perception price for the Brendan Sorsby saga, but we’re not projecting that plays a huge role in their preseason ranking. Anywhere from No. 8 to No. 13 is fair for a Red Raiders squad that projects to be excellent along the lines of scrimmage and favored against every Big 12 opponent.
• LSU: Our CBS Sports 138 was far more caught up in the excitement of the Lane Train than the Coaches Poll, slotting LSU up at No. 10 while the coaches dropped the Tigers behind both Alabama and Texas Tech at No.