Ah, the preseason AP Top 25 Poll. It's the ranking system that we all love to mock, to belittle, and to demean, yet it's the list that college football fans flock toward at its mere mention. Don't believe me? You're reading this article right now, aren't you?
I'm here to make a prediction for the layout of the upcoming college football season. As a disclaimer, I am not especially plugged in with the AP voters, nor am I an endless source of knowledge when it comes to the inner workings of college football. Using what I've seen from recruiting rankings and external preseason expectations, I've built my own top 25.
Not one based on my beliefs -- specifically my feelings on specific teams' respective quality -- but rather based on expectations of the voters, I'm laying out exactly what I expect to see when that first AP Poll is dropped.
Chaos will ensue on that day. Outrage will echo through the alleyways and rage will be the motiviating factor as incredulous fans punch angry messages into social media, all so that those same fans can return at the end of the year to laugh at how terrible the preseason rankings turned out to be.
The preseason top 25 rankings are based purely on speculation -- they're built on expectations in the absence of substance. Yet they still anchor teams' rankings for the first half of the season and beyond, and ultimately impact how the College Football Playoff Committee will perceive the 12-team bracket's contenders.
It's absurd, but that's how it goes. Welcome to the world of college football, we're happy to have you.
2026 Preseason AP Poll Top 25 Rankings prediction
1. Notre Dame
2. Indiana
3. Texas
4. Ohio State
5. Oregon
6. Georgia
7. Miami
8. Texas Tech
9. Texas A&M
10. BYU
11. Alabama
12. LSU
13. Ole Miss
14. Oklahoma
15. Michigan
16. Utah
17. USC
18. Louisville
19. Iowa
20. SMU
21. Tennessee
22. Missouri
23. Penn State
24. Boise State
25. Oklahoma State
Remember, these are just predictions, not how I actually view the world of college football. Don't shoot the messenger.
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