College Football Rankings: ESPN Reveals Top 25 Preseason Poll for 2026

Weeks away from the kickoff of the 2026 season, ESPN has revealed its official top 25 college football rankings, and as expected, it’s a lot of the SEC and Big Ten at the top of the preseason polls heading into the summer Talkin’ Season.

Football Power Index (FPI) college football rankings and computer prediction model are a measure of team strength that predicts a team’s future performance.

Rankings and scores predictions are based on 20,000 simulations of a team’s season and games, using a combination of key analytics, including scores to date, quality of opponents, team talent, recruiting, and a team’s schedule.

Teams are ranked not in order of talent like in other polls, but by a projected point margin per game against an average team on a neutral field.

College football rankings: ESPN reveals Top 25 preseason poll for 2026

25. Iowa

Win prediction: 7.6 games

A nine-win team last season, the Hawkeyes will look plenty different this time around, with a ton of new starters on both sides of the ball, including at quarterback, but Kirk Ferentz went out and brought in running back LJ Phillips, who had 1,920 yards a year ago at South Dakota.

24. SMU

Win prediction: 8.3 games

The return of Kevin Jennings at quarterback will be a key stabilizing force for the Mustangs coming off a 6-2 run in ACC play last season, enough to put this team in conference championship contention, but first we need to see proven progress on the defensive line and in the secondary.

23. South Carolina

Win prediction: 6.4 games

LaNorris Sellers passed on the NFL for a chance to lead a renewed Gamecocks offense, now under the tutelage of coordinator Kendal Briles, who faces a mandate to recover from a 2025 regress, with part of that project finding the right inputs on what was a disastrous line to protect this quarterback.

22. Auburn

Win prediction: 6.6 games

Alex Golesh steps in to refresh an Auburn program still looking for a winner, not having won double digit games since 2017, and quarterback Byrum Brown came over with him from USF to lead this offense, but five-star wideout Cam Coleman is gone and this pass defense was dismal last season.

21. Missouri

Win prediction: 6.7 games

Ahmad Hardy led the SEC in rushing production a year ago, but suffered a gunshot wound to the leg this offseason that naturally raises questions around his availability, and the Tigers face an uphill battle in replacing every one of their 2025 starters on defense.

20. BYU

Win prediction: 8.7 games

Winning 11 games for the second-straight season and playing for the Big 12 championship, the Cougars are now favored to go all the way in the 2026 preseason coaches poll from inside the league with Bear Bachmeier at QB and LJ Martin in the backfield, but new leadership on defense.

19. Clemson

Win prediction: 8.1 games

Questions are being asked about Dabo Swinney coming off a 7-6 outing and the program still clearly slipping from its College Football Playoff dynasty days, but now Chad Morris steps back in to lead an offense that could boast the best WR room in college football, but has a new quarterback in Christopher Vizzina.

18. Florida

Win prediction: 6.7 games

The pressure is now on Jon Sumrall to prove he can hack it in the SEC after coming over from Tulane and resurrect the Gators, which come into this season boasting a clearly talented roster at key positions, including what should be a top-flight receiver group.

17. Penn State

Win prediction: 9.0 games

The lowest ranked team by ESPN analysts to earn the nine-win projection, the Nittany Lions are under new management as Matt Campbell takes the helm from Iowa State and brought in 39 transfers that include 26-game starting veteran quarterback Rocco Becht and near-1,000 yard rusher Carson Hansen.

16. Tennessee

Win prediction: 7.3 games

Signal caller Joey Aguilar and a slew of defensive backs are out of the picture, but this defense should take a step forward with Jim Knowles -- who won the title with Ohio State in 2024 -- now calling the plays, but there is a big question at QB with either George MacIntyre or Faizon Brandon expected to take over, neither with much experience.

15. Michigan

Win prediction: 7.8 games

There is plenty for Michigan to forget on and away from the field, but the addition of veteran head coach Kyle Whittingham to its sideline is a major positive development, especially with playmakers on offense like top recruit Bryce Underwood at quarterback, and Whittingham has enough documented history as a defensive strategist to know that side of the ball will be solid.

14. Ole Miss

Win prediction: 7.3 games

Pete Golding steps into the top job for his first full season after the Lane Kiffin exodus, and with two major cornerstones to build this offense around, with quarterback Trinidad Chambliss and back Kewan Lacy returning, but the Rebels need to prove they made the right replacements on defense.

13. USC

Win prediction: 8.2 games

Two key receiving targets are gone, but the Trojans return quarterback Jayden Maiava alongside all five starting blockers and boast the No. 1 recruiting class in college football. Lincoln Riley needs to start winning now. Former TCU head coach Gary Patterson leading the defense should help.

12. Oklahoma

Win prediction: 7.5 games

Brent Venables earned his rep creating suffocating defenses, and while the Sooners replace some inputs there, they should dominate on that side of the field again, but the real question remains around the needed improvement of John Mateer under center, an offensive line that struggled mightily a year ago, and a stagnant run game that could barely move behind it.

11. Texas A&M

Win prediction: 8.4 games

Mike Elko won 11 straight games before losing two in a row last season, and now the Aggies have holes to fill on both lines, and while the return of quarterback Marcel Reed is a big plus for this offense, it needs him to be much more consistent and protective of the football, especially against what will be a tougher schedule.

10. Texas Tech

Win prediction: 10.8 games

The lowest-placed double-digit projected winner in the ESPN rankings, the reigning Big 12 champs lose key defenders like David Bailey, Romello Height, and Jacob Rodriguez, and now won't have Brendan Sorsby under center, either, but should have a solid run game to help Will Hammond, the quarterback returning from an ACL tear last year.

9. LSU

Win prediction: 8.4 games

All eyes are on Lane Kiffin to lead LSU back to the promised land after the Brian Kelly experiment crashed and burned. Having the No. 1 transfer class is a big help, led by top quarterback Sam Leavitt, boosted by an elite receiver group, and a Blake Baker defense that returns Whit Weeks in center field.

8. Alabama

Win prediction: 8.6 games

Winning 20 games in your first two seasons might be good at other programs, but Alabama expects more from Kalen DeBoer, and is looking critically in his direction after a very ugly playoff exit at the hands of Indiana, and now making replacements at quarterback and looking for a much more physical brand of football, particularly from a run game that was just 125th in FBS last fall.

7. Miami

Win prediction: 10.4 games

After playing for the national championship last season, the Hurricanes could find their way back into contention after scoring transfer quarterback Darian Mensah from Duke in a major coup, especially in tandem with star rusher Mark Fletcher and stud wideout Malachi Toney, but Miami still needs to make the right moves patching holes on a defense that lost key contributors in the front seven.

6. Indiana

Win prediction: 10.1 games

A respectable preseason slot for the reigning national champs who stunned college football with that magical 16-0 run, but now the heat is on Curt Cignetti to prove these last two years weren't a fluke. They lose a lot, but brought in 31-game starting quarterback Josh Hoover.

5. Georgia

Win prediction: 9.9 games

The reigning back-to-back SEC champions are on a very short list of favorites to return to Atlanta again in December, with quarterback Gunner Stockton and running back Nate Frazier returning, but there are new faces in the secondary and two key road tests against Alabama and Ole Miss.

4. Oregon

Win prediction: 10.2 games

Two new coordinators for the Ducks coming off another College Football Playoff run, but Dan Lanning was able to get quarterback Dante Moore under center again in tandem with blue-chip skill players and what should be another stout defense at every level.

3. Notre Dame

Win prediction: 10.7 games

Everything could be in place again for the Fighting Irish to make a realistic run at the national championship, even despite the loss of their two potent backs, but quarterback CJ Carr leads a talented offense and this defensive unit showed serious improvement last season, with nine of their 10 top tacklers coming back.

2. Texas

Win prediction: 9.8 games

This could be the last go-round for Arch Manning, who improved from his sluggish early season debut to emerge as one of the more efficient passers in college football, and he should have serious help at the skill positions again this time around, in tandem with a defense now led by Will Muschamp, but the Longhorns need to get much better running the ball.

1. Ohio State

Win prediction: 10.2 games

While there’s no consensus favorite for the No. 1 position this preseason, the Buckeyes are a safe bet with Jeremiah Smith returning as college football’s best wideout, a Heisman finalist in quarterback Julian Sayin, but there are big holes to fill on defense and Ryan Day’s group plays a much tougher schedule this time around with road dates at Texas, Indiana, Iowa, Nebraska, and USC.

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