Ohio State and Oregon Top 2026 Preseason Coaches Poll

Ohio State begins the 2026 college football season as the nation's top-ranked team in the preseason USA Today Coaches Poll released on Tuesday, August 4. The Buckeyes, who earned 38 of the 72 first-place votes, lead a top 10 dominated by Southeastern Conference programs and headline a strong contingent of Big Ten teams at the summit of the rankings.

Oregon claimed the No. 2 spot with six first-place votes, giving the Big Ten the top two positions. They are followed by No. 3 Georgia, which received seven first-place votes, No. 4 Texas with two, and No. 5 Notre Dame with five. Defending national champion Indiana, which completed an undefeated 16-0 season in 2025, landed at No. 6 but garnered a notable 14 first-place votes, the second-most of any team. Miami, last season's College Football Playoff runner-up, is ranked seventh. Texas A&M, Oklahoma, and Mississippi round out the top 10.

The SEC leads all conferences with nine teams in the preseason Top 25, including five within the top 13. The Big Ten placed eight teams, while the Big 12 has four, led by No. 12 Texas Tech. The Atlantic Coast Conference has three ranked teams. No team from a Group of Five conference appears in the...