Ranking every college football team from 1-138 ahead of 2026 season

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Ranking every college football team from 1-138 ahead of 2026 season originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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The Sporting News 1-138 rankings experienced movement after Week 1.

Virginia (No. 26) and North Carolina (No. 58) are trending upward after impressive victories. The Cavaliers are a true ACC contender again under coach Tony Elliott. The Tar Heels might be more competitive after all under second-year coach Bill Belichick. 

Now it's time for Week 1. Ole Miss (No. 8) meets Louisville (No. 21) on Sunday in the only matchup between teams in the AP Top 25. It's a weekend of huge spreads – but there is bound to be a few upsets in there. Will SMU (No. 20) hand Florida State (No. 55) a loss on Labor Day night? The Seminoles were shaky in a  34-17 victory against New Mexico State in Week 0. 

Defending national champion Indiana starts our 1-138 rankings at the top, but the Hoosiers have competition in the Big Ten with Ohio State (No. 2) and Oregon (No. 5). The Big Ten promises to be an exciting championship race this season.

This is a 1-138 ranking now. Sporting News will update these rankings throughout the season. Here is a look at those rankings ahead of Week 1: 

MORE: Comparing the preseason AP and Coaches polls

College football rankings 2026

Top 25 for Week 0

1. Indiana (0-0)

All eyes will be on TCU transfer Josh Hoover in his Indiana debut against North Texas, but the Hoosiers should be able to play complementary football with a strong running game and defense. Fernando Mendoza had 193 passing yards with no TDs in the opener in 2025. Don't be surprised if Boston College transfer Turbo Richard is the early-season star. 

MORE: The seven most compelling transfer QBs

2. Ohio State (0-0)

The Buckeyes return Julian Sayin, Bo Jackson and Jeremiah Smith – a trio that gives Ohio State its leading passer, rusher and receiver along with a supporting cast of receivers. Freshmen Chris Henry Jr. and Brock Boyd are in the mix for targets with Brandon Inniss and UTSA transfer Devin McCuin – who impressed in fall camp. Ohio State opens with Ball State. 

3. Georgia (0-0)

How elite will the Georgia defense be? The linebacker tandem of Raylen Wilson and Chris Cole should help. They combined for 133 tackles and seven sacks last season – and they are in front of a secondary that includes Preseason All-Americans KJ Bolden and Ellis Williams IV. Georgia opens with Tennessee State. 

4. Notre Dame (0-0)

The Irish open the season at Lambeau Field on Sept. 6 against Wisconsin – a chance to flash the nation's best secondary with Preseason All-Americans Leonard Moore and Brauntae Johnson. Christian Gray and Adon Shuler are back – and Colorado transfer D.J. McKinney should help. The Irish were fourth in the FBS with 21 interceptions last season. 

MORE: Ranking all 138 FBS head coaches for 2026

5. Oregon (0-0)

Oregon faces Boise State – and the teams played a 37-34 shootout in 2024. The Ducks are ranked No. 2 in the AP Preseason Poll and Coaches Poll. Coach Dan Lanning, 40, is 48-8 in four seasons with the Ducks. 

6. Texas (0-0)

Second-year starter Arch Manning had a 163.2 passer rating with 19 TDs and two interceptions at home last season – and the matchup against Texas State in Week 1 offers a test drive with receivers Cam Coleman, Ryan Wingo and Emmett Mosley V before the main event against Ohio State in Week 2.

MORE: 2026 SN Preseason All-America Team | All-America teams by decade

7. Miami, Fla. (0-0)

The Darian Mensah era begins on Sept. 4 at Stanford – a Friday night ACC showdown. According to Pro Football Focus, Malachi Toney had 109 catches on 139 targets last season – 78.4% catch percentage that ranked behind Ohio State's Jeremiah Smith (82.1%) and Arkansas State's Chauncy Cobb (79.1%) among top returning receivers. 

8. Ole Miss (0-0)

The Rebels begin the first full season under Pete Golding. Defensive tackle Will Echoles and edge rusher Suntarine Perkins combined for 9.5 sacks and 24 tackles for loss last season and will be active for defensive coordinator Bryan Brown. Ole Miss faces Louisville in the Music City Kickoff on Sept. 6. 

MORE: Grading the 17 new coaching hires across the P4 conferences

9. Oklahoma (0-0)

Quarterback John Mateer's physique has been the talk of the offseason – and the Sooners quarterback enters his second season as the starter. Will that rekindle the early Heisman hype from last season in the first two weeks against UTEP and Michigan? 

10. USC (1-0)

The Trojans opened with a 42-26 victory against San Jose State in Week 0. USC limited the Spartans to 99 total yards in the first half under new defensive coordinator Gary Patterson, and Jayden Maiava (25 of 29, 286 yards, 2 TDs) was on point. USC faces Fresno State on Friday. 

11. Texas A&M (0-0)

Texas A&M added Alabama transfer Isaiah Horton (511 yards, 8 TDs)  to a receiving trio that features Mario Craver (917 yards, 4 TDs) and Asthon Bethel-Roman (503 yards, TDs). Marcel Reed will work with this group in the opener against Missouri State.  

12. Alabama (0-0)

Keelon Russell – a five-star quarterback in the 2024 recruiting class – could be the X-factor for Kalen DeBoer in Year 3 at Alabama. Russell and Austin Mack battled for the starting job in fall camp. The Crimson Tide also have a backfield-by-committee approach looking to improve on last year's total of 104.1 rushing yards per game. 

13. LSU (0-0)

Lane Kiffin will make his LSU debut at Tiger Stadium against Clemson. LSU beat Clemson 17-10 last year in a defensive slugfest last season. The Tigers have a transfer-heavy roster, and it's the first look at quarterback Sam Leavitt and tackle Jordan Seaton in purple and gold.

MORE: Five storylines for 2026, starting with Lane Kiffin

14. Michigan (0-0)

How theatrical will Michigan's debut under Kyle Whittingham be against Western Michigan – the preseason favorite to win the MAC? The Wolverines have won 14 straight games against MAC opponents dating back to a 2008 loss to Toledo in Rich Rodriguez's first season. Sophomore quarterback Bryce Underwood is back in the spotlight. 

15. BYU (0-0)

BYU ranked 39th in the FBS with a rushing offense that averaged 178.1 yards per game last season behind quarterback Bear Bachmeier (527 yards, 11 TDs) and running back LJ Martin (1,305 yards, 12 TDs). The Cougars are our highest-ranked Big 12 team. BYU opens with Utah Tech. 

16. Texas Tech (0-0)

The Red Raiders bounced around our rankings all summer as the Brendan Sorsby drama unfolded. Will Hammond – who is recovering from a torn ACL – has not been ruled out for the Week 1 matchup against Abilene Christian. A.J. Holmes and Ben Roberts lead a retooled front seven on a defense that allowed 11.8 points per game last season. 

17. Utah (0-0)

The Big 12 run continues with Utah – which begins a new era with coach Morgan Scalley – a former Utes defensive back who has been an assistant since 2007. According to PFF.com, quarterback Devon Dampier had a 66.7% completion percentage with seven TDs and no interceptions against the blitz last season. Utah opens against Idaho on Sept. 3.  

18. Penn State (0-0)

The Matt Campbell era begins in Happy Valley – and Rocco Becht is the perfect transition quarterback. Penn State QBs combined for 16 TDs and seven interceptions last season. The running back tandem of Carson Hansen and James Peoples is underrated. Penn State opens with Marshall.

SN 140: Greatest programs by decade, from pre-1900s to present

19. Iowa (0-0)

Meet Tony Diaz, a UT Rio Grande Valley transfer receiver who caught 68 passes for 875 yards and 11 TDs last season. Will he help unlock the Hawkeyes' pass offense for quarterback Jeremy Hecklinski and Hank Brown? Iowa opens Kirk Ferentz's 28th season against Northern Illinois. 

20. SMU (0-0)

Quarterback Kevin Jennings continues to recover from a jammed index finger on his throwing hand ahead of the season opener at Florida State. The Mustangs are 14-2 in ACC play under Rhett Lashlee since joining the conference in 2025. 

21. Louisville (0–0)

The Cardinals have their fourth transfer QB in as many seasons with Lincoln Kienholz, and he has a chance for a breakout performance against Ole Miss in Nashville. The Rebels won the last meeting between the teams – a 43-24 blowout in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game in 2021. 

22. Washington (0-0)

The Huskies – a trendy Big Ten sleeper – open the season with the Apple Cup matchup against Washington State on Sept. 6. The Cougars have won two of the last three matchups in Seattle, and we're excited this rivalry continues through 2028. 

23. Houston (0-0)

Shadre Hurst – a Tulane transfer – is one of the best interior linemen in the country. He has the highest run-block and pass-block grades among returning guards from last season, according to PFF. The Cougars open with Oregon State on Sept. 6.

24. Illinois (0-0)

We were surprised Illinois didn't get more votes in the AP Preseason Top 25 and Coaches Poll. Katin Houser – who had 28 total TDs and just six interceptions last season – is an under-the-radar transfer QB. The Illini open with UAB on Sept. 5. 

25. Tennessee (0-0)

Quarterbacks Faison Brandon and George MacIntyre will likely both see time against Furman in a tune-up before the Week 2 matchup at Georgia Tech. How will the defense hold up after losing safety Edress Farooq to a season-ending knee injury?

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College football 1-138 rankings: (1-25) 

A look at the top 25 teams in the FBS heading into Week 0:

Rest of FBS (26-138)

Here is a look at the rest of the FBS heading into Week 0:

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