Overview
- The Associated Press released the 2026 preseason Top 25 on Monday and a 69-member media panel put Ohio State first with 40 first-place votes and Oregon second with 14.
- The Big Ten holds the top two spots for the first time in 65 years, a placement that reflects the conference’s run of recent College Football Playoff titles.
- The Southeastern Conference leads all conferences with nine teams in the preseason poll while the Big Ten has eight and no Group of Six programs were ranked.
- Defending national champion Indiana opened at No. 6 and received eight first-place votes, and the poll uses an online 1–25 point tabulation system to total ballots.
- The poll helped set early narratives and markets by making Ohio State the betting favorite at about +600 and spotlighting early matchups such as Ohio State at Texas that will test preseason expectations.