Science
Preseason AP poll reaction: What's next for each Top 25 team
Key Points
Ohio State opens the year as the top-ranked team in the nation, trailed by another Big Ten team, Oregon. The SEC has five teams in the top 10, led by No. 3 Georgia and No. 5 Texas. Lane Kiffin's first LSU team is just outside at No. 11.
Ohio State opens the year as the top-ranked team in the nation, trailed by another Big Ten team, Oregon. The SEC has five teams in the top 10, led by No. 3 Georgia and No. 5 Texas. Lane Kiffin's first LSU team is just outside at No. 11. The highest-ranked Big 12 team is Texas Tech at No. 12. With the Buckeyes visiting the Longhorns in Week 2, nothing in these rankings will remain set for long.
Stats courtesy of ESPN Research.
All times ET.
1. Ohio State Buckeyes
2025 record: 12-2
Week 1: Sept. 5 vs. Ball State, 12:30 p.m., Big Ten Network
Stat to know: Ohio State enters the season having been favored in 31 straight games, the longest active streak in the FBS.
2. Oregon Ducks
2025 record: 13-2
Week 1: Sept. 5 vs. Boise State, 3:30 p.m., CBS
Stat to know: Dan Lanning is 48-8 in his four seasons at Oregon, tied with Ryan Day for the third-best record among active FBS head coaches in that span.
3. Georgia Bulldogs
2025 record: 12-2
Week 1: Sept. 5 vs. Tennessee State, 3 p.m., SEC Network+
Stat to know: The Bulldogs wrap up the regular season at home against Georgia Tech; Georgia was won eight straight meetings, tied for the longest win streak by either school in series history (Georgia Tech won eight in a row from 1949 to 1956).
4. Notre Dame Fighting Irish
2025 record: 10-2
Week 1: Sept. 6 vs. Wisconsin, 7:30 p.m., NBC
Stat to know: Last season was Notre Dame's fifth consecutive year with a new starting quarterback. CJ Carr, however, begins this year as the starter and is set to be the first QB to start consecutive season openers for the Irish since 2019-20.
5. Texas Longhorns
2025 record: 10-3
Week 1: Sept. 5 vs. Texas State, 3:30 p.m., ESPN
Stat to know: The Longhorns averaged just 388.5 yards per game, 6.0 yards per play and 137.8 rushing yards per game, their lowest marks since Steve Sarkisian became head coach in 2021.
6. Indiana Hoosiers
2025 record: 16-0
Week 1: Sept. 5 vs. North Texas, noon, Fox
Stat to know: The Hoosiers have four games scheduled against teams that finished ranked in the final 2025 AP poll.
7. Miami Hurricanes
2025 record: 13-3
Week 1: Sept. 4 at Stanford, 9 p.m., ESPN
Stat to know: Miami didn't leave the state of Florida until November 1 last season. This time around they travel over 2,500 miles right out of the gate to play Stanford. This will be just the second time Miami opens the season with a true road game over the last 10 years.
8. Texas A&M Aggies
2025 record: 11-2
Week 1: Sept. 5 vs. Missouri State, 7 p.m., ESPN
Stat to know: A&M closes the season hosting Texas, who they haven't beaten since 2010. The Aggies suffered their first loss of last season in Austin, 27-17 after entering the game 11-0.
9. Ole Miss Rebels
2025 record: 13-2
Week 1: Sept. 6 vs. Louisville, 7:30 p.m., ABC
Stat to know: Ole Miss has not lost a season opener since 2020.
10. Oklahoma Sooners
2025 record: 10-3
Week 1: Sept. 4 vs. UTEP, 8 p.m., SEC Network+
Stat to know: The Sooners don't have back-to-back road games all season.
11. LSU Tigers
2025 record: 7-6
Week 1: Sept. 5 vs. Clemson, 7:30 p.m., ABC
Stat to know: The season opener will be just the second regular-season meeting between LSU and Clemson. Aside from last season, the previous four meetings all occurred in bowl games.
12. Texas Tech Red Raiders
2025 record: 12-2
Week 1: Sept. 5 vs. Abilene Christian, 7 p.m., FS1
Stat to know: The Red Raiders open their season with three in-state opponents in their first four games. Texas Tech hasn't lost a game to any of those three in-state foes since 2009 when Houston got the better of the Red Raiders
13. Alabama Crimson Tide
2025 record: 11-4
Week 1: Sept. 5 vs. East Carolina, noon, ABC
Stat to know: The Tide look for revenge against Florida State in Week 3. The Seminoles would be the 2nd team to beat the Tide in consecutive seasons since DeBoer took over in 2024, joining Oklahoma.
T14. BYU Cougars
2025 record: 12-2
Week 1: Sept. 5 vs. Utah Tech, 8 p.m., ESPN+
Stat to know: The Cougars have a 23-4 record over the last two seasons. They are one of five FBS teams to win 11+ games in each of the last two seasons, and the only one in that group to not make the CFP.
T14. USC Trojans
2025 record: 9-4
Week 0: Aug. 29 vs. San Jose State, 3 p.m., NBC
Stat to know: After opening with three straight non-conference games, the Trojans start Big Ten play with a cross-country trip to Rutgers, roughly 2,700 miles away. Since joining the Big Ten in 2024, USC has struggled on the road in conference games, going 3-6 compared to 8-1 in home conference games.
16. Michigan Wolverines
2025 record: 9-4
Week 1: Sept. 5 vs. Western Michigan, 7:30 p.m., NBC
Stat to know: Michigan first-year head coaches have traditionally done well. Going back to Bo Schembechler's first year at Michigan in 1969, six of the last seven Michigan first-year head coaches have won at least eight games.
17. Washington Huskies
2025 record: 9-4
Week 1: Sept. 6 vs. Washington State, 4 p.m., NBC
Stat to know: QB Demond Williams was tied for 19th last season with 25 TD passes. He ranked 32nd in passing yards with 3,065.
18. Penn State Nittany Lions
2025 record: 7-6
Week 1: Sept. 5 vs. Marshall, 3:30 p.m., FS1
Stat to know: While the Nittany Lions will play Michigan for the first time since 2023, a lot of the discussion around the PSU schedule is about who is not on it. Penn State will not have to play Ohio State, Oregon or Indiana during the regular season.
19. SMU Mustangs
2025 record: 9-4
Week 1: Sept. 7 at Florida State, 7:30 p.m., ESPN
Stat to know: Since joining the ACC in 2024, SMU is 1-4 against teams that finished the season ranked in the AP Top-25 (only win vs. Miami in 2025), compared to 19-3 vs all other teams.
20. Tennessee Volunteers
2025 record: 8-5
Week 1: Sept. 5 vs. Furman, 3:30 p.m., SEC Network+
Stat to know: Tennessee enters the year with a 96-26-6 record in season-opening games (2020 win was vacated) and a 5-0 opening record under head coach Josh Heupel, outscoring opponents 260-58.
21. Utah Utes
2025 record: 11-2
Week 1: Sept. 3 vs. Idaho, 9 p.m., ESPNU
Stat to know: Morgan Scalley is just the fourth Utah head coach since 1990, following Ron McBride, Urban Meyer and Kyle Whittingham.
22. Iowa Hawkeyes
2025 record: 9-4
Week 1: Sept. 5 vs. Northern Illinois, 4:15 p.m., Big Ten Network
Stat to know: The Hawkeyes lost four games last year, all by five points or less.
23. Houston Cougars
2025 record: 10-3
Week 1: Sept. 5 vs. Oregon State, noon, ESPN
Stat to know: After a 4-8 debut under Willie Fritz, the Cougars improved to 10-3 last year. His winning percentage in Year 3 of a job tends to hold steady around .725.
24. Louisville Cardinals
2025 record: 9-4
Week 1: Sept. 6 vs. Ole Miss, 7:30 p.m., ABC
Stat to know: Only one contributor is returning for the offensive line as five transfers will be filling the rest of the spots.
25. Missouri Tigers
2025 record: 8-5
Week 1: Sept. 3 vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff, 8 p.m., SEC Network
Stat to know: Although last season didn't end in a win, Missouri won eight games for the third straight season, the second-longest streak in program history behind a six-season streak from 2006-11.