Predictions for 2026 AP NCAA Top 25 Preseason College Football Rankings

Julian Sayin, Jeremiah Smith and the Ohio State Buckeyes have a strong chance of topping the preseason AP Top 25, which comes out on Monday at Noon ET.

Ohio State already landed on top of the preseason Coaches poll two week ago.

The Buckeyes are once again loaded with talent. Smith is a contender for the No. 1 overall pick in the 2027 NFL Draft and Sayin is one of the better returning quarterbacks in the country.

The top part of the preseason AP Top 25 will likely be controlled by the Big Ten and SEC. The two conferences had eight of the top 10 teams in the preseason Coaches poll.

AP Top 25 Prediction

1. Ohio State
2. Texas
3. Oregon
4. Georgia
5. Notre Dame
6. Indiana
7. Texas A&M
8. Miami
9. Oklahoma
10. Ole Miss
11. Alabama
12. Texas Tech
13. LSU
14. BYU
15. USC
16. Michigan
17. Penn State
18. Tennessee
19. Washington
20. Utah
21. SMU
22. Iowa
23. Clemson
24. Houston
25. Louisville

Traditionally, there isn't much of a difference between the preseason AP and Coaches poll.

Some teams move up and down a spot or two in one poll compared to the other, but there usually isn't a drastic difference in where programs land in both preseason polls.

The competition for the No. 2 spot behind Ohio State is interesting. Four other teams received five or more first-place votes in the Coaches poll.

The Texas Longhorns were one of those five schools. It would be fascinating to see Arch Manning and Co. at No. 2 to build up buzz for the Week 2 clash with Ohio State.

Ohio State-Texas is the premier game of the September schedule, and it might turn out to be the best contest of the entire season.

Both the Buckeyes and Longhorns will face stiff competition in their respective conferences.

The Oregon Ducks have loaded up on more talent this year under Dan Lanning, led by Nebraska transfer quarterback Dylan Raiola.

Raiola is the backup to Dante Moore, who would've been the No. 2 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.

Moore is arguably the best quarterback returning to college football. He and the Ducks will be gearing up through September and October to be ready for a November 7 clash with Ohio State, which could be a No. 1-versus-No. 2 battle.

The reigning national champion Indiana Hoosiers can't be counted out in the Big Ten either. Their biggest game is against Ohio State on October 17.

The Georgia Bulldogs are viewed as Texas' top competition in the SEC. Texas and Georgia do not meet in the regular season.

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish are expected to be among the sport's elite programs once again. They have a pretty clear path to a 12-0 or 11-1 record with the Miami Hurricanes being the only national-title contender on their schedule.

Miami should be the top ACC team in the AP poll. There's a chance that the Hurricanes and Fighting Irish go into November 7 both with undefeated records.

The Big Ten and SEC accounted for 18 of the 25 spots in the preseason Coaches poll. That number shouldn't change by more than one or two in the AP poll given the consensus opinion on most teams at this point of preseason.