Ohio State and Oregon have claimed the top two spots in The Associated Press Top 25, marking a significant achievement for the Big Ten Conference. This is the first time in 65 years, and only the second time ever, that the Big Ten has secured the top two positions in the preseason rankings.
Ohio State earned 40 first-place votes, while Oregon received 14 from the 69 media members who cover college football. The Buckeyes begin the season ranked No. 1 for the ninth time and the first since 2015. This ties them with Alabama for the second-most preseason No. 1 rankings, while Oklahoma holds the record with ten.
Oregon has achieved its highest preseason ranking in program history, having previously opened at No. 3 four times. The rest of the top five includes Georgia, Notre Dame, and Texas. Last year’s national champion, Indiana, starts at No. 6, followed by Miami, Texas A&M, Mississippi, and Oklahoma. Notre Dame received six first-place votes, Indiana eight, and Miami one.
Big Ten’s Historic Achievement
This is the first instance since 1987 that a conference has held the top two slots in the preseason poll. In that year, Oklahoma and Nebraska from the Big Eight were ranked 1-2. The last time the Big Ten had the top two teams was in 1961 when Iowa and Ohio State led the poll. That season, Iowa faltered, finishing unranked, while Ohio State ended second to Alabama.
The Big Ten has won three consecutive College Football Playoff championships, a feat accomplished by Michigan, Ohio State, and Indiana. They are now aiming for a fourth straight national title. For four consecutive years, the Big Ten has had two of the top three teams in the preseason rankings.
Conference Breakdown
The Southeastern Conference (SEC) boasts nine teams in the preseason Top 25, maintaining a three-year trend of having at least that many. This is the first time since 2013 that five of the top 10 teams are from the SEC.
The Big 12 features four ranked teams, with Texas Tech as the highest at No. 12. The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) has three teams ranked: Miami, SMU at No. 19, and Louisville at No. 24. No Group of Six schools appear in the Top 25.
Team Highlights
Top-ranked Buckeyes
Ohio State’s offense is strong, led by Heisman Trophy finalist Julian Sayin, the nation’s most accurate passer last season. Jeremiah Smith has excelled in receiving yards and touchdowns over the last two years, and Bo Jackson achieved a 1,000-yard rushing season as a freshman. Despite needing to replace eight defensive starters for a second consecutive year, new transfers are expected to fill key roles. Ohio State faces a tough schedule, including an early visit to Texas and several games against ranked conference opponents, such as Indiana and Oregon.
The Buckeyes have concluded the season as No. 1 in the AP poll six times, with the most recent being in 2024.
Georgia Bulldogs: Best of the SEC
The Georgia Bulldogs, led by Kirby Smart, have consistently ranked in the preseason top five for nine years. They are two-time defending SEC champions and are strong contenders for another conference title game and College Football Playoff (CFP) appearance. Texas, previously ranked No. 1, remains in the top five for three straight years.
Texas A&M, at No. 8, returns to the preseason top 10 for the first time since 2022. Pete Golding’s tenure as Mississippi head coach begins with the No. 9 Rebels in the top 10 for the second time in three years. Oklahoma, ranked No. 10, enters the preseason top 10 for the first time since its Big 12 affiliation in 2022.
What About the Hoosiers?
Indiana, the reigning national champion, is ranked outside the top five, a situation seen in the past 40 years by only seven returning champions. Michigan experienced a similar ranking in 2024 after securing the national title.
Indiana achieved a 16-0 record, a rarity in modern college football, and returns with a wealth of talent. They also signed a top-10 transfer class. The transition from Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza to TCU’s Josh Hoover as quarterback raised questions among voters.
Poll Nuggets
- Ohio State aims to be the 12th team to start and end at No. 1 since the AP preseason poll began in 1950. The last team to achieve this was Alabama in 2017.
- Notre Dame, ranked No. 2 in 2006, has its highest preseason rating since then. With Heisman candidate quarterback CJ Carr, they enter the season with a 10-game winning streak.
- LSU, led by Lane Kiffin, is ranked No. 11 after a 7-6 season with former coaches Brian Kelly and Frank Wilson.
- Ten of the 12 CFP teams from last season are ranked. James Madison and Tulane from the Group of Six are not among them.
- No. 23 Houston enters the preseason rankings for the first time in four years, a third occurrence since 1991.
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