College football preseason Coaches Poll: Who’s overranked and underrated in the top 25?
Ohio State edged Oregon to give the Big Ten the top two slots in the USA Today 2026 preseason college football Coaches Poll, which was unveiled Tuesday afternoon.
The Buckeyes are the first Big Ten squad to debut as the coaches’ No. 1 team since 2015, when Ohio State was coming off a College Football Playoff title. Either an SEC team or Clemson has opened the coaches poll at No. 1 every season the last 10 seasons.
Ohio State garnered 38 first-place votes, by far the most of any team in the poll. Six different teams received No. 1 votes, with defending CFP champion Indiana collecting the second-most (14) despite only coming in at No. 6 in the rankings. Oregon (six), Texas (seven), Georgia (two) and Notre Dame (five) also received first-place votes and rounded out the top five in that order.
2026 Preseason Coaches Poll
The coaches poll hardly serves as a predictor of the upcoming football season. Last year, only 14 preseason top-25 teams were ranked in the final polls, after only 12 appeared in both editions during the 2024-25 season. Alabama was the last team to open at No. 1 in the coaches poll and win that season’s College Football Playoff title, in 2017.
For the third consecutive season, the SEC landed nine teams in the preseason poll, with five other SEC teams appearing in the top 13 behind Georgia and Texas. Georgia will open the season ranked in the coaches poll top five for the ninth consecutive year. Other SEC teams in the poll include 2025-26 CFP participants Texas A&M (No. 8), Oklahoma (No. 9), Ole Miss (No. 10) and Alabama (No. 11), plus LSU (No. 13), Tennessee (No. 18) and Missouri (No. 25).
The Big Ten landed eight teams in the poll, including defending CFP champion Indiana at No. 6. Other teams include USC (No. 14), Michigan (No. 16), Penn State (No. 17), Washington (No. 19) and Iowa (No. 22). Ohio State has opened in the top five every season since 2015.
The two other Power 4 conferences totaled seven representatives in the rankings. The Big 12 had four: Texas Tech (No. 12), BYU (No. 15), Utah (No. 21) and Houston (No. 24), while the ACC had three: CFP runner-up Miami (No. 7), SMU (No. 20) and Clemson (No. 23). It’s the lowest preseason ranking for Clemson since 2011.
The stars for Ohio State are poised for improvement this season
Cameron Teague Robinson
Who’s underrated?
No. 6 Indiana: The Hoosiers finished 16-0 and watched Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Fernando Mendoza go No. 1 in the NFL Draft, but they return double-digit starters from a dominant team and bring in one of the best hauls in the transfer portal. With the second-most first-place votes, it’s easy to wonder whether some coaches chose to downgrade Indiana because of Curt Cignetti’s bluster this offseason. If a traditional power had this same offseason, there’s no way it would be ranked No. 6.
No. 10 Ole Miss: With The Athletic’s top-ranked college quarterback Trinidad Chambliss back alongside the nation’s best running back in Kewan Lacy, the Rebels are in prime position to compete for the SEC title. Instead, coaches ranked Ole Miss fifth among SEC teams. Yes, Pete Golding has replaced Lane Kiffin as head coach, but Golding directed the Rebels to two CFP wins and nearly a third. With a solid roster returning, Ole Miss should be at least third among SEC teams.
No. 24 Houston: The Cougars have all of the pieces in place for a potential Big 12 title run. At quarterback, Houston boasts returning starter Conner Weigman, with five-star true freshman Keisean Henderson waiting in the wings. They’ll be supported by explosive playmakers, a veteran offensive line and the guts of a really good defense. Willie Fritz is the nation’s most underrated coach, and the Cougars have the schedule to contend for a CFP berth.
Who’s overrated?
No. 13 LSU: Landing Lane Kiffin was a coup for the Bayou Bengals, but it’s a stretch to see them debut at No. 13 after a 7-6 season with a new coach, a new quarterback in Sam Leavitt and a ton of defensive losses. That said, if LSU is unbeaten entering October, it rightly will be in the top five.
No. 16 Michigan: There’s a wide discrepancy of thought on the Wolverines. New coach Kyle Whittingham brings some much-needed adulting to the program, but there is plenty of uncertainty for Michigan. The talent is obvious but it’s inconsistent, especially at quarterback. The schedule is nasty, too, with the Wolverines’ first five Power 4 opponents all capable of winning nine or more games this year. It could go either way this fall.
No. 23 Clemson: In recent years, the Tigers’ overall record seemed to provide cover for their inability to win big games. Last year, Clemson opened at No. 6 with 17 returning starters and national title aspirations. It then flopped to a 7-6 record and beat just one Power 4 team at home. With a new quarterback and lingering program questions, a preseason ranking seems like a hat tip to Dabo Swinney’s career rather than the reality of his team at this point.