Ohio State and Oregon are 1-2 in the AP preseason Top 25, SEC leads conferences with 9 ranked teams
Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith runs the ball against Miami during the second half of the Cotton Bowl College Football Playoff quarterfinal game, Dec. 31, 2025, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Gareth Patterson, File) 2026-08-17T16:00:00Z live Ohio
Ohio State and Oregon are the top two ranked teams in the preseason AP Top 25, with the Big Ten Conference leading the pack with nine teams in the ranking for the first time in 65 years. Ohio State, receiving 40 first-place votes, is returning to the No. 1 spot for the ninth time and first since 2015. Oregon, with 14 first-place votes, is making its program-high ranking debut.
The SEC dominates with nine teams in the Top 25, the third straight year, as five of the top 10 teams come from the conference. Notable teams include Georgia, Notre Dame, and Texas, rounding out the top five. Indiana, the defending national champion, starts at No. 6, followed by Miami, Texas A&M, Mississippi, and Oklahoma. This marks the first time since 1987 that a conference has held the top two spots in the preseason poll, with the Big Ten claiming them for the second consecutive year.
Written by urgent.news from Associated Press's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
