AP preseason Top 25 Poll: Ohio State and Oregon lead the way

Some teams are surprisingly high on the list, while there are some unexpected misses.

Here's a breakdown of the top-five teams that made it onto the preseason list.

1 - Ohio State Buckeyes

To no one's surprise at all, the Buckeyes are No. 1 on the preseason list.

Ohio is the strongest team in the country right now, with most of their offensive starters back for the 2026 season.

2025 Heisman finalist Julian Sayin is back for his sophomore season alongside junior Jeremiah Smith, a duo that we can expect to be paired up a lot in the next couple of months.

With eight of their starters not returning to the roster, the main weakness the Buckeyes will face is their defense.

2 - Oregon Ducks

After a solid 2025 and a self-assured Dante Moore, the Ducks are definitely one of the favorite early contenders for the National Championship.

Moore bypassed the 2025 Draft to play another season with Oregon. With multiple returning starters, the Ducks should have a good foundation for the start of the season.

But the Ducks' main weakness will be their offensive line, this being one of the main reasons they have struggled in their last two CFP losses.

OL coach A'Lique Terry will have to find the correct formula if Oregon wants to stay in the Top 25.

3 - Georgia Bulldogs

After back-to-back championships in 2021 and 2022, the Dawgs have struggled to achieve that level of greatness again after Stetson Bennett and company moved on to the NFL or transferred.

During his first year as a starter, Gunner Stockton showed he is capable of being a good QB for the Bulldogs, but something is still missing in Georgia if they want to go back to the National Championship.

The biggest concern for Stockton will be finding players on the field. With four of their top five receivers out of the team, the Bulldogs are lacking in that department.

Ranking third on the AP Poll is a very positive outlook for this Georgia team.

4 - Notre Dame Fighting Irish

The Fighting Irish in fourth may come as a surprise for most of us, but Notre Dame has been preparing all offseason for what should be a really good year for them.

CJ Carr, though only a sophomore, has the very important job of keeping the offense together and finishing what Riley Leonard couldn't in 2024.

However, it won't be easy replacing someone like Jeremiyah Love from one season to another. The RB department may be lacking in the first few weeks, but Notre Dame should be good if they manage to find someone half as good as Love.

5 - Texas Longhorns

Arch Manning and the Longhorns were underwhelming, to say the least, last season; will this year be the one they've been waiting for?

A No. 5 ranking felt cautious from the AP, but it's understandable given that they struggled a lot last year; however, their roster looks really strong this season, with four players making the preseason watch list for the 2026 Walter Camp Player of the Year Award.

Manning still has two years of eligibility to achieve what his uncles and grandpa never could: win a National Championship.

The competition will be tough this season, and won't be easy. It may be slim, but Texas has a chance.

Biggest misses, low rankings, and main surprises

For the first time in 15 years, Clemson was not featured in the AP preseason Poll, marking a historic fall for the Tigers who've struggled to find a QB1 since Trevor Lawrence left in 2021.

But there is nothing that Dabo Swinney loves more than proving the media wrong, so this should make for an interesting season.

Ole Miss and Trinidad Chambliss ranked two places higher than Lane Kiffin's LSU at No. 9; a very hopeful ranking for the Tigers, taking into account that they have a new QB1 and lost their bowl game last season.

The reigning champions come in at No. 6 with Curt Cignetti still at the helm and an expectant Josh Hoover, who will have a tough job filling in Fernando Mendoza's shoes at Bloomington.

While being ranked in the preseason poll gives us an idea of how teams are coming in, it definitely is not a way to predict how the season will go. Look at Texas being ranked No. 1 in the 2025 preseason poll and ultimately not even making the playoffs.

Full AP preseason Top 25 list

No. 1 - Ohio State

No. 2 - Oregon

No. 3 - Georgia

No. 4 - Notre Dame

No. 5 - Texas

No. 6 - Indiana

No. 7 - Miami (FL)

No. 8 - Texas A&M

No. 9 - Ole Miss

No. 10 - Oklahoma

No. 11 - LSU

No. 12 - Texas Tech

No. 13 - Alabama

No. 14 - BYU

No. 15 - USC

No. 16 - Michigan

No. 17 - Washington 

No. 18 - Penn State

No. 19 - SMU

No. 20 - Tennessee

No. 21 - Utah

No. 22 - Iowa

No. 23 - Houston

No. 24 - Louisville

No. 25 - Missouri

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