Tomorrow's Top 25 Today: Big Ten takeover in the top five in new college football rankings

After a run of preseason rankings in college football, from conference predictions all the way to our FBS-wide CBS Sports 138, the pecking order of note is set to be released on Monday with the first AP Top 25 poll of the 2026 season. The rankings are scheduled to be released around noon ET, which means all of our favorite scoreboards (like the CBS Sports app!) will soon have little numbers beside the names of the best teams in the country. 

Though the College Football Playoff Rankings will determine the bracket for the national championship, the AP Top 25 poll is the ranking set that connects decades of college football history, all the way back to 1936. Though the AP voters no longer have a direct say in determining the national champion, the rankings remain a core part of the college football conversation. 

It's out of respect for the institution that we celebrate the AP poll each week with Tomorrow's Top 25 Today, a Saturday night lookahead to Sunday's reset rankings. We'll predict movement up and down in the poll and offer a recap of how the day's action will impact the new top 25. In years past, we have been able to identify certain trends in voting behavior during a season, establish some tiers among top teams and more once the ballots start getting tabulated. 

But for now, in the preseason, our projections are as blind as they will be all year. Luckily, the widespread availability of preseason rankings and power polls has established some tiers that should remain consistent to the AP voters. There may be six or seven teams who are all getting some attention for potentially being No. 1 in the country, but that group of six or seven seems pretty set across most preseason rankings sets. 

Here's how we project the AP Top 25 poll to look when the preseason rankings are released on Monday: 

1. Ohio State: While there is some voter churn each year the continuity factor is going to contribute to Ohio State getting some advantages when comparing top teams. These are largely the same AP voters who had Ohio State at No. 1 in the country with a 12-0 record going into conference championship weekend, and the 2026 squad is headlined by the same coach, quarterback and star player. If Heisman finalist Julian Sayin and All-American wide receiver Jeremiah Smith were garnering 61 of 66 first-place votes prior to the postseason, they'll probably be the starting point for a lot of ballots even after a pair of December defeats.  

2. Oregon: Dan Lanning's teams have finished inside the top four of the AP poll in each of the last two seasons, and with all the talent and production returning the Ducks present another high-floor propositions for voters. There will be varying opinions about Oregon's candidacy as the No. 1 team, but Dante Moore and the Ducks are going to be showing up inside the top four on most ballots. 

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3. Texas: The AP voters put the Longhorns in the top spot heading into last season, so there might be some burned bridges from the preseason No. 1 finishing in the Cheez-It Bowl. But even if there's a penalty for under-performing expectations in 2025, you can't put a team this talented too far down a ballot. Anywhere in the top four or five is where Steve Sarkisian's group is likely to fall, and with the buzz of Arch Manning Year 2 plus a some shiny portal additions there could be some first-place votes as well.

4. Indiana: The Hoosiers got the second-most first-place votes (14) in the Coaches Poll yet finished sixth in voting points. That suggests we might have some outlier rankings for Indiana from the coaches, and our prediction is the AP voters are less likely to go rogue with a negative opinion on Curt Cignetti. Indiana's rise is one of the sign-of-the-times sports stories of the decade, shattering expectations for what can and cannot be accomplished in modern college football. Writers like stories, and Cignetti has proven through the last two seasons to have a program that does, in fact, deserve the benefit of the doubt. 

5. Notre Dame: The offseason review of CJ Carr's performance in 2025 has powered his Heisman Trophy candidacy and the idea that this year's Fighting Irish team not only has the schedule, but the squad, to be a national title contender all season long. Now where Notre Dame falls among this top five will likely depend on how many of this year's voters are trying to predict the final rankings (where Notre Dame might have an edge) or use the preseason as a continuation of how last season ended. In that case, there could be voters who prefer other top teams who were in the playoff last season.  

6. Georgia: We have already had multiple times this decade where Georgia enters as preseason No. 1 in both major polls, but last season that was not the case and the Coaches Poll was a spot higher than the AP on the Dawgs. It follows a general narrative that Kirby Smart and his program might get more respect from his peers than it does the media, which could more easily swayed by mock draft quarterbacks and splashy transfer portal additions. Georgia's keys to success are in the program's stability, which won't win beauty contests but has won three SEC titles in the last four years.    

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7. Miami: AP voters were more bullish on Miami out of the gate than the Coaches Poll last season, but the Hurricanes could be facing the same uphill battle in this set of rankings. The Hurricanes are No. 7 in the Coaches Poll and No. 7 in the CBS Sports 138 with the same dilemma: being clearly a cut above the next tier of teams but losing a few too many ballot-by-ballot tiebreakers to jump up into the consensus top five. The gap between Miami and the teams above is smaller than the drop-off to tier 2, and a No. 7 spot is fair for a program that has 23 wins, but also six losses, across the last two seasons.   

8. Oklahoma: Now this is, admittedly, where things could get a little bit chaotic in terms of rankings order. Anything from No. 8 to No. 13 is a fair landing spot for Oklahoma and the other teams in this grouping, and our prediction for the Sooners getting the nod falls in line with some general support for Brent Venables group coming off a playoff appearance in 2025. Texas A&M was higher-ranked in the Coaches Poll and Texas Tech was higher-ranked in the CBS Sports 138, but Oklahoma has consistently wound up at the top of this playoff contender tier across the industry. 

9. Ole Miss: Trinidad Chambliss' triumphant run to the College Football Playoff semifinals set up Ole Miss for a season of real expectations as Pete Golding grabs hold of a Rebels program that could have easily descended into chaos. Golding's ability to keep the train on the tracks as the transition unfolded in real time was impressive, and now it's set the standard for a modern SEC power that's seen as a contender again in 2026. 

10. Texas A&M: Last season's AP voters didn't quite believe the record for a lot of last season with Texas A&M. On paper, if there was an SEC team carrying an undefeated record into November with multiple road wins against ranked teams, it would have gotten more first-place consideration than the Aggies did in 2025. Texas A&M never got higher than No. 3 in the AP poll despite racing out to an 11-0 record before losing its final two games and finishing at No. 8. That distrust may carry over to the preseason, even if Texas A&M has a great profile as a playoff team returning a third-year starter at quarterback. 

11. Texas Tech: It's possible that Texas Tech will pay some public perception price for the Brendan Sorsby saga, but we're not projecting that plays a huge role in their preseason ranking. Anywhere from No. 8 to No. 13 is fair for a Red Raiders squad that projects to be excellent along the lines of scrimmage and favored against every Big 12 opponent.  

12. LSU: Our CBS Sports 138 was far more caught up in the excitement of the Lane Train than the Coaches Poll, slotting LSU up at No. 10 while the coaches dropped the Tigers behind both Alabama and Texas Tech at No. 13. The AP voters could split the difference, with transfer portal-focused voters clearly excited about what Kiffin and his staff have assembled in Baton Rouge and other voters seeking a bit more continuity and consistency before putting LSU into the top 10.  

13. Alabama: The uncertainty at the quarterback position provides just enough pause for voters to keep sliding Alabama down the ballot when comparing these teams in the playoff contender tier. There's a general understanding of the Tide's high talent level across the depth chart, but AP voters could see the indecision between Keelon Russell and Austin Mack as a negative when other squads have settled their quarterback position in preparation for the season.

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14. USC: A time-honored tradition in college football is overreacting to a media day vibe. Lincoln Riley objectively carried a sense of calm confidence around Big Ten Media Days, and more than a few media members took note much after speaking with the Trojans' coach in advance of the 2026 season. That kind of fluffy narrative boost doesn't do as much for USC's ranking as having an established star quarterback in Jayden Maiava and a program that took real steps forward with a 9-win campaign in 2025, but it can solidify the Trojans' spot in the top 15.  

15. Michigan: Kyle Whittingham had a Hall of Fame-worthy profile when he stepped down at Utah, and if he didn't coach another game we'd talk about him as one of the greats of this era. Now a coach of that caliber takes over at Michigan, a school that was reignited by recent additions to the trophy case. How much success Whittingham can have with Bryce Underwood right away remains an unknown until we see it on the field, so voters won't rush to crown this team right away but keep them close enough to crash the top 10 if needed.  

16. BYU: This run of USC, BYU and Michigan could end up in any order and our projection is the voting points margin between all three will be slim. We have the Cougars running third only with the idea that continuity and consistency could be a punishment. Since 2020, Kalani Sitake has four double-digit win seasons and three top-15 finishes. There has yet to be that big breakthrough with a Big 12 title or top-10 finish, but BYU's place as an annual top-20 team is the expectation for the Cougars as long as Sitake's in Provo.   

17. Penn State: Matt Campbell's Iowa State program spent 19 combined weeks ranked inside the top 25 over the last two seasons, so having an influx of Cyclone talent in Happy Valley might not be a bad thing for re-establishing Penn State as a top-25 team after a 7-6 finish in 2025. The Nittany Lions' free-fall from top-five to barely bowling might not have represented the talent level of that group, and also what a new staff is inheriting. Penn State's schedule has some bullish on their ability to finish with a strong record, but even a team-rating approach slots the Nittany Lions inside the top 20. 

18. Tennessee: The benefit of the doubt is being afforded to Josh Heupel and Tennessee as the Vols look to bounce back from an 8-win campaign that is now viewed as a "down year" in Knoxville. Tennessee may have an ongoing quarterback battle between two inexperienced options, but the consistency of Heupel's offense and the talent level of the program has set a top-20 standard that's going to be the expectation even with some burning questions. That benefit of the doubt has been earned -- Tennessee has won 73.1% of its games since the start of the 2022 season (38-14) with a different starting quarterback each year.  

19. SMU: A couple of non-conference losses early last season kept SMU under the radar nationally, but the Mustangs' run through ACC play showcased what has become one of the league's most consistent winners. Rhett Lashlee is 14-2 in ACC conference play since leading SMU into the league back in 2024, including an overtime win against top-10 Miami last season. With Kevin Jennings back at quarterback and a roster that seems to do a good job of matching fit and talent, the Ponies have a chance to be a top-25 mainstay  

20. Washington: With dynamic quarterback play and some game-changers at the linebacker position, Washington has just enough special talent at key positions to consider the Huskies a threat each and every Saturday. Demond Williams has a chance to push the portal-related stories below the fold and replace them with highlights of another charge in the Big Ten. While Jedd Fisch hasn't had Washington as a top-25 mainstay over the last two seasons, the coach-quarterback combination gives them an edge against other contenders on the ballot.

21. Iowa: Clearly, reputation is playing a huge role in how an AP voter attacks the end of their ballot. With no games to evaluate, the difference between No. 18 and No. 28 can seem negligible. Even in the objective eyes of oddsmakers, the difference in quality between those teams could be less than six points on a neutral field.

That's where the rock-solid consistency of Kirk Ferentz provides a comfortable and trustworthy option as a top-25 team. That's because Kirk Ferentz has won eight-plus games in every non-COVID season since 2015 and finished inside the top 25 five times in the last seven years. Even the reasons to like this year's Iowa team feel as timeless as a top-25 ranking for the Hawkeyes, boasting a couple of the nation's best offensive linemen, a trustworthy run game and a defense led by one of the best in Phil Parker. 

22. Florida: The hire of Jon Sumrall was going to give some pop to Florida's ranking potential, as his success at Troy and Tulane has paved the path for him to rise as one of the stars in the coaching industry. Now a ball coach who has won championships in two different conferences gets his crack at the big time with a program that expects championship contention at the national level. The Gators did not finish inside the top 25 of the Coaches Poll, but after landing at No. 22 in the CBS Sports 138 we're projecting the media bias continues to bend his way with the AP voters. Florida did a good job of retaining some talented pieces from last year's team while also supplementing through the portal to field a group that will make the Gators dangerous to every SEC opponent. 

23. Missouri: Voters will appreciate the consistency and high floor of Eli Drinkwitz's program, which has been a regular part of the top 25 picture for the last three seasons. Missouri was inside the top 25 for eight different rankings weeks last season, peaking at No. 14, but late-season losses to eventual playoff teams Texas A&M and Oklahoma left them 4-4 in SEC play and outside of the final rankings for the year. 

With 29 wins across the last three seasons, Drinkwitz benefits from recent history to get these preseason honors, but these are also some of the first teams cut when voters discover new options for their ballots once the season gets started.

24. Utah: It's tough to get a sense of how Utah should be ranked in the wake of Kyle Whittingham's exit, but our projection for how the Utes will be ranked pays respect to the standard that their former coach helped establish. With defensive coordinator Morgan Scalley being promoted to head coach, there has to be some carryover for a program that has 43 wins and three top-15 finishes across the last five seasons. It's a team voters may feel obligated to include but lack the pop to place high on their ballots. 

25. Louisville: While Clemson made the Coaches Poll top 25 at No. 23, I think the AP voter will favor a different third ACC team when trying to fill out the final spots on their ballots. Look for Dabo Swinney's team to be one of the top names in "Others Receiving Votes," but we're projecting the Cardinals are the AP's pick to join Miami and SMU inside the top 25.

 Louisville has spent 19 weeks as a top 25 team across the last three seasons, with at least four weeks of run as a ranked team every year that Brohm has been the head coach. With Lincoln Kienholz arriving from Ohio State to take over at quarterback and a star running back in Isaac Brown, the nine-win consistency of the last three years could land a spot inside the preseason top 25.