Football Way-Too-Early Top 25 Polls for 2026

[Alum-Ni]

Link: ESPN

1. Indiana
2. Texas
3. Notre Dame
4. Georgia
5. Oregon
6. Ohio State
7. Texas Tech
8. Miami (FL)
9. Mississippi
10. Texas A&M
11. BYU
12. Oklahoma
13. USC
14. Louisville
15. LSU
16. Cockeye
17. Southern Methodist
18. Michigan
19. Washington
20. TCU
21. Alabama
22. Penn State
23. Arizona State
24. Tennessee
25. Utah

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Link: The Athletic

1. Oregon
2. Ohio State
3. Georgia
4. Miami (FL)
5. Texas
6. Indiana
7. Notre Dame
8. BYU
9. Oklahoma
10. Texas Tech
11. Texas A&M
12. USC
13. Missouri
14. Michigan
15. Mississippi
16. LSU
17. Louisville
18. Cockeye
19. Washington
20. Alabama
21. Houston
22. Southern Methodist
23. Boise State
24. Utah
25. Florida

Others Considered
Arizona, Penn State, Illinois, Virginia, Minnesota

==========================

Link: CBS Sports

1. Ohio State
2. Texas
3. Georgia
4. Oregon
5. Notre Dame
6. Texas A&M
7. Texas Tech
8. Indiana
9. Michigan
10. Oklahoma
11. USC
12. BYU
13. Miami (FL)
14. LSU
15. Alabama
16. Louisville
17. Missouri
18. Utah
19. Washington
20. Mississippi
21. Houston
22. Penn State
23. Southern Methodist
24. Virginia Tech
25. South Carolina

Others Considered
Arizona State, Boise State, Florida, Cockeye, Kentucky, Oklahoma State

============================

Link: Yahoo! Sports

1. Oregon
2. Texas
3. Indiana
4. Ohio State
5. Georgia
6. LSU
7. Texas Tech
8. Texas A&M
9. Notre Dame
10. Miami (FL)
11. Mississippi
12. Alabama
13. Oklahoma
14. USC
15. BYU
16. Michigan
17. Southern Methodist
18. Penn State
19. Louisville
20. Virginia Tech
21. Houston
22. South Carolina
23. Washington
24. Illinois
25. Virginia

==============================

Link: Bleacher Report

1. Ohio State
2. Georgia
3. Indiana
4. Texas
5. Oregon
6. Notre Dame
7. Texas Tech
8. Texas A&M
9. Miami (FL)
10. Oklahoma
11. Alabama
12. BYU
13. Mississippi
14. Michigan
15. LSU
16. USC
17. Utah
18. Southern Methodist
19. Penn State
20. Houston
21. Tennessee
22. Washington
23. Cockeye
24. Louisville
25. Clemson

================================

Link: SI

1. Ohio State
2. Notre Dame
3. Georgia
4. Texas
5. Indiana
6. Oregon
7. Miami (FL)
8. Texas Tech
9. BYU
10. LSU
11. Michigan
12. Texas A&M
13. USC
14. Southern Methodist
15. Alabama
16. Cockeye
17. Utah
18. Mississippi
19. Oklahoma
20. Florida
21. Virginia Tech
22. Penn State
23. Boise State
24. Washington
25. Memphis

==================================

Link: USA Today

1. Texas
2. Ohio State
3. Georgia
4. Indiana
5. Notre Dame
6. Oklahoma
7. Texas Tech
8. Texas A&M
9. Oregon
10. Miami (FL)
11. Alabama
12. USC
13. BYU
14. Michigan
15. LSU
16. Southern Methodist
17. Penn State
18. Utah
19. Clemson
20. Mississippi
21. Cockeye
22. Florida State
23. Houston
24. Tennessee
25. Boise State

============================

Link: FOX Sports

1. Indiana
2. Ohio State
3. Oregon
4. Texas Tech
5. Mississippi
6. Texas
7. Miami (FL)
8. Georgia
9. Texas A&M
10. BYU
11. Vanderbilt
12. Notre Dame
13. LSU
14. Oklahoma
15. Missouri
16. Michigan
17. Penn State
18. Washington
19. Utah
20. Alabama
21. Southern Methodist
22. Virginia
23. Tennessee
24. USC
25. Arizona

============================

Link: On3

1. Ohio State
2. Georgia
3. Texas
4. Notre Dame
5. Indiana
6. Oregon
7. Texas Tech
8. Texas A&M
9. Miami (FL)
10. Oklahoma
11. Michigan
12. LSU
13. BYU
14. Penn State
15. Mississippi
16. Utah
17. Alabama
18. Washington
19. USC
20. Tennessee
21. Cockeye
22. Houston
23. Virginia Tech
24. Florida
25. Arizona

===============================

Link: Sporting News

1. Indiana
2. Ohio State
3. Georgia
4. Texas
5. Notre Dame
6. Oregon
7. Texas Tech
8. Miami (FL)
9. Oklahoma
10. Mississippi
11. BYU
12. Alabama
13. Texas A&M
14. USC
15. Utah
16. Michigan
17. LSU
18. Penn State
19. Louisville
20. Cockeye
21. Houston
22. Illinois
23. Southern Methodist
24. Washington
25. Vanderbilt

Others Considered
Duke, Virginia Tech, TCU, Tennessee, Missouri, Georgia Tech, Clemson, Northwestern

=================================

Link: Athlon Sports

1. Ohio State
2. Georgia
3. Texas
4. Indiana
5. Oregon
6. Notre Dame
7. Texas A&M
8. Miami (FL)
9. Texas Tech
10. Oklahoma
11. LSU
12. Michigan
13. Mississippi
14. BYU
15. Alabama
16. USC
17. Washington
18. Utah
19. Tennessee
20. Houston
21. Penn State
22. Cockeye
23. Louisville
24. Southern Methodist
25. Boise State

Others Considered
South Carolina, Virginia Tech, Arizona, Arizona State, Navy, James Madison, Clemson, Illinois, Georgia Tech, Missouri, Vanderbilt, Florida

 

[SoCal_Corn]

No NEBRASKA mention

 

[dom91932]

Can't even sniff "considered" status.

 

[2010sarenevercomingback]

Back to getting completely disrespected by the media, just like we were in the 90s.

 

[Bootleg11]

 

[RedSavage]

It's bizarre to me that it doesn't matter bc it should imo. Plus we would see a lot more fun matchups.

 

[Irv]

We just put the brisket in the smoker, folks.

 

[V-Doub]

No NEBRASKA mention

We’re not even in “others under consideration” on any poll. Not that I’m particularly surprised, but it is a bit eye opening that most (ok all) national writers/pollsters see the same thing we do… no bueno.

 

[ZJSARENOTFREE]

 

[Bootleg11]

I could see any of the top 12ish teams winning it. NIL has definitely made it more of a toss up.

I think Nebraska is MAYBE a top 40 team next year.

Things can change but preseason would you put them even in the top 1/2 of the Big 10?

Would you take Nebraska over any of these guys: Indiana, Ohio St, Michigan, Penn State, Oregon, USC, Washington, Cockeye, Illinois, Minnesota

Toss up: Maryland, Wisconsin

I'd take them over: Purdue, Rutgers, Northwestern, UCLA, Michigan St

And I paused on UCLA and Michigan St.

 

[V-Doub]

Especially if you’re already ranked preseason. Absolutely no upside to playing a quality non-con opponent. Not really a good reason if you’re any team in the B1G or SEC. Maybe could be some upside for BigXII and ACC teams, to bolster their resume come selection time. But for B1G and SEC teams… If you go 10-2 or better you’re 99% guaranteed a playoff spot.

Nobody cares who you beat or didn’t beat 10 weeks ago if you can finish 10-2 or better. (If you’re in the B1G or SEC)

 

[Cavalot]

Back to getting completely disrespected by the media, just like we were in the 90s.

We deserve it. We suck! We have sucked for 15 years. We lost our best offensive players, our defense is going to be weaker (on paper at least, which is scary), and we lost possibly our best coach. Why would get any respect? We haven't earned shit!

 

[Cavalot]

I could see any of the top 12ish teams winning it. NIL has definitely made it more of a toss up.

I think Nebraska is MAYBE a top 40 team next year.

Things can change but preseason would you put them even in the top 1/2 of the Big 10?

Would you take Nebraska over any of these guys: Indiana, Ohio St, Michigan, Penn State, Oregon, USC, Washington, Cockeye, Illinois, Minnesota

Toss up: Maryland, Wisconsin

I'd take them over: Purdue, Rutgers, Northwestern, UCLA, Michigan St

And I paused on UCLA and Michigan St.

If our qb situation doesn't pan out. We could possibly be the worst team in the BIG. Not joking!

 

[SoCal_Corn]

The Nerds should now do the SEC the 3 years priior to that.

AND I will fix their message text:

Until SINCE tough P4 OOCs are specifically rewarded, there is zero point in playing them.

None of that post is "News" , its been that way for a while now.

 

[Tonkasker]

Cockeye getting a serious benefit of the doubt after returning 1 significant starter on defense and backfilling out of the portal with a bunch of FCS prospects. Not saying they’re bad but they are a wild card, as is their projected starting QB

 

[DuckSker]

It's bizarre to me that it doesn't matter bc it should imo. Plus we would see a lot more fun matchups.

When the SEC switches to 3 non-con games, the national narrative will shift back to punishing 3 cupcake non-conference schedules.

The reason for that… due to rivalries most SEC teams will be forced to play a tough noncon opponent (FLA-Miami) (UGA-GaTech) etc

This wasnt an issue before because every SEC team could schedule 3 non-con cupcakes, plus play their swing rivalry game. Therefore they were hypocritical in calling out the Big Ten for playing 3 cupcakes.

 

[Bootleg11]

Cockeye getting a serious benefit of the doubt after returning 1 significant starter on defense and backfilling out of the portal with a bunch of FCS prospects. Not saying they’re bad but they are a wild card, as is their projected starting QB

I would trust their staff. The last time they had a season as bad as Nebraska's 2025 season was 2014.

 

[Tonkasker]

I would trust their staff. The last time they had a season as bad as Nebraska's 2025 season was 2014.

Believe you me bud I would trust that staff in the NFL

 

[Herbie]

If we enter the season with no expectations we can’t be disappointed

 

[Ext. 55]

If we enter the season with no expectations we can’t be disappointed

2-10 at best. Set the bar really low, to be pleased with 6-6!