Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin returns as the starting quarterback for the 2026 season, anchoring a team that has received significant preseason attention. Earlier coverage on 2026-07-27 reported that the Buckeyes were voted the Big Ten favorite in the preseason media poll, and earlier coverage on 2026-05-13 reported that CBS Sports 138 had Ohio State edging out Texas for the No. 1 spot in post-spring college football rankings.

Oregon secured the No. 2 ranking with six first-place votes, while Georgia followed at No. 3 with seven first-place votes. Texas claimed the No. 4 spot with two first-place votes, and Notre Dame rounded out the top five with five first-place votes. The football version of the poll has been known officially as the US LBM Coaches Poll since 2023.

Indiana’s placement at No. 6 included 14 first-place votes, despite the program holding the national championship. The Hoosiers are just the second defending national champion in the past 15 years to be ranked outside the preseason top five. Indiana quarterback Josh Hoover replaces Fernando Mendoza as the starting quarterback for the 2026 season.

Miami is ranked No. 7, followed by Texas A&M at No. 8 and Oklahoma at No. 9. Ole Miss completed the top 10 at No. 10. Alabama sits at No. 11, with Texas Tech at No. 12 and LSU at No. 13. USC is ranked No. 14, BYU is No. 15, and Michigan is No. 16.

Penn State holds the No. 17 position, Tennessee is No. 18, and Washington is No. 19. SMU is ranked No. 20, Utah is No. 21, and Iowa is No. 22. Clemson occupies the No. 23 spot, Houston is No. 24, and Missouri rounds out the list at No. 25. Louisville received 153 votes but was not ranked in the Top 25, while Florida received 147 votes but also missed the cut.

The 2026 preseason Coaches Poll included nine SEC teams in the Top 25, the highest number of conference teams in the rankings since 2015, showing the continued dominance of the SEC in college football. Eight Big Ten teams are ranked in the Top 25, four Big 12 teams appear, and three ACC teams made the list. Notre Dame is the only independent team ranked in the Top 25.

Blake Toppmeyer, a co-host of the 2026 preseason Coaches Poll reveal and a college football analyst Sports since 2015, commented on the selections. "Ohio State feels like the safest option," Toppmeyer said. His perspective aligns with the voting results that placed the Buckeyes firmly at the top of the standings.

Other analysts offered different views on the weight of these early rankings. "Trophies matter more than preseason polls," columnist John Adams stated. This sentiment shows the distinction between preseason expectations and actual championship outcomes.

Historical data suggests that a top preseason ranking does not guarantee a top finish. Ohio State has only once started and finished the season ranked No. 1 in the Coaches Poll since 1991, with that occurrence being in 2002 when they won the national championship. Additionally, Texas nabbed the No. 1 preseason ranking last summer and then missed the playoff entirely.

Looking ahead, Ohio State will play Ball State on Sept. 5, 2026, to open the regular season. The Buckeyes will face Texas on Sept. 12, 2026, in a matchup featuring two top-five teams. Texas quarterback Arch Manning returns as the starting quarterback for the 2026 season.

The release of the 2026 preseason US LBM Coaches Poll establishes the initial hierarchy for the upcoming college football season, with Ohio State positioned as the favorite. The ranking places pressure on the Buckeyes to convert their top spot into a championship, a feat they have accomplished only once since 1991 when starting and finishing at No. 1. The poll also shows the unusual position of Indiana, which must navigate the challenges of defending a title while starting the season ranked sixth, a scenario that has occurred rarely in recent history.

The distribution of rankings reflects broader conference trends, with the SEC maintaining a strong presence through nine teams in the Top 25. This concentration of power influences playoff projections and weekly matchups throughout the season. The poll serves as a baseline for evaluating team performance as the season progresses, with the first regular-season update scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 8, according to usatoday.com. Subsequent releases follow every Sunday after that initial regular-season poll.

Why It Matters

The 2026 preseason Coaches Poll establishes the initial hierarchy for the upcoming season, positioning Ohio State as the favorite with quarterback Julian Sayin returning. The rankings indicate a significant concentration of power within the SEC and Big Ten conferences, which collectively account for 17 of the 25 spots. This distribution sets the landscape for playoff contention while placing immediate expectations on the top-ranked programs to validate their early standing.