Big Ten Takes Top Spots And SEC Leads With 9 Teams In 1st AP Top 25 Of 2026

Ohio State is the AP preseason No. 1 and Oregon No. 2 — the first time in 65 years the Big Ten holds the top two spots.
Oregon's No. 2 is the highest preseason ranking in program history, while Ohio State took the most first‑place votes and is favored for another title run.
The SEC still shows the most depth with nine teams in the Top 25 and five of the top 10.