Preseason College Football Coaches Poll forecasts intriguing season
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USA TODAY officially released the preseason coaches’ top 25 poll on Tuesday.
Ohio State leads the field in the top spot, followed by Oregon, Georgia, Texas, and Notre Dame. OSU, Oregon, and Georgia all made the CFP last season, while Texas and Notre Dame missed out.
Indiana comes in at the sixth spot after winning its first college football national title this past season. Even though the program is outside the top five, it’s still one of the top contenders to win it again this season.
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Miami, Texas A&M, Oklahoma, and Ole Miss round out the top 10 of the poll. All four teams were also in the CFP last season.
Here’s a full look at the preseason coaches poll for the 2026 season.
2026 Coaches Poll Top 25 rankings – preseason
Ohio State Buckeyes mascot Brutus cheers during the second half of the NCAA men’s basketball game against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at the Schottenstein Center in Columbus on Jan. 5, 2026. Ohio State lost 72-69.
- Ohio State
- Oregon
- Georgia
- Texas
- Notre Dame
- Indiana
- Miami
- Texas A&M
- Oklahoma
- Ole Miss
- Alabama
- Texas Tech
- LSU
- USC
- BYU
- Michigan
- Penn State
- Tennessee
- Washington
- SMU
- Utah
- Iowa
- Clemson
- Houston
- Missouri
Others Receiving Votes
Louisville 153; Florida 147; TCU 63; Illinois 62; South Carolina 50; Arizona 50; Virginia 40; Vanderbilt 37; Auburn 29; Georgia Tech 26; Boise State 24; Oklahoma State 22; UNLV 17; North Carolina State 13; Florida State 13; Virginia Tech 12; Nebraska 12; Memphis 9; Arizona State 8; James Madison 6; Duke 6; Pittsburgh 4; New Mexico 4; Western Michigan 3; Navy 3; San Diego State 2; Kansas State 1; Jacksonville State 1; Hawaii 1; California 1
About the Coaches Poll
“The US LBM Coaches Poll is conducted weekly throughout the regular season using a panel of head coaches at Football Bowl Subdivision schools,” USA TODAY writes. “The panel is chosen by random draw, conference by conference plus independents, from a pool of coaches who have indicated to the American Football Coaches Association their willingness to participate. Each coach submits a Top 25 with a first-place vote worth 25 points, second place 24, and so on down to one point for 25th.”
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