Big Ten Teams Top College Football's AP Preseason Poll

The AP Top 25 college football preseason poll has been released, with two powerhouse Big Ten teams taking the top two spots. Ohio State University leads the nation in the rankings, receiving a total of 40 first-place votes. Ohio State is ranked ahead of Oregon, who secured the second position. Following Ohio State and Oregon, Indiana University ranks third, backed by Georgia, Notre Dame, and Texas. Miami (Florida), Texas A&M, Ole Miss, and Oklahoma complete the top 10.

This marks the first time since 2020 that a team outside the Southeastern Conference (SEC) has been crowned as the No. 1 team in the preseason poll, with Ohio State being the first. Furthermore, it is the first instance where two teams from the same conference have appeared in the top two spots since Oklahoma and Nebraska of the Big Eight earned those positions in 1987.

Despite their impressive rankings, both Ohio State and Texas have experienced setbacks in the past season. Texas began their 2025 campaign at No. 1 but quickly lost that title after a loss to Ohio State. Ohio State, on the other hand, appeared poised to defend their national championship title after a loss in the Big Ten Championship Game and a quarterfinal exit in the College Football Playoff.

Quarterback Julian Sayin and star wide receiver Jeremiah Smith are set to return to the team, while additional defensive backs Terry Moore and Earl Little Jr. were added through the transfer portal. Heisman candidate Dante Moore will return to Oregon to lead an offense that averaged 452.2 total yards per game last season. Oregon has enjoyed a 48-8 record under head coach Dan Lanning, with two consecutive 13-win seasons, and this marks the highest preseason ranking ever for the program.