Preseason college football Power Rankings: Who's No. 1 in 2026?
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- Ohio State tops ESPN's 2026 preseason Power Rankings ahead of No. 2 Georgia, No. 3 Notre Dame, No. 4 Oregon and No. 5 Texas, returning QB Julian Sayin, RB Bo Jackson and WR Jeremiah Smith while coach Ryan Day replaces eight defensive starters, four drafted in the first two rounds.
- Georgia enters as a potential under-the-radar threat after consecutive SEC titles followed by CFP quarterfinal exits, with QB Gunner Stockton in his second season as starter and an SEC-worst 20 sacks in 2025 still a question for Kirby Smart's defense.
- Texas surrounded QB Arch Manning with the top transfer-portal receiver Cam Coleman (Auburn) and running backs Hollywood Smothers (NC State) and Raleek Brown (Arizona State) for what could be Manning's final college season.
- Lane Kiffin moved from Ole Miss to LSU within the SEC, inheriting one of the most talented and expensive rosters in the FBS and retaining defensive coordinator Blake Baker, who turned LSU's defense into one of the SEC's best in 2025.
- Penn State hired Matt Campbell and imported 39 transfers — 24 from Iowa State — including QB Rocco Becht, receiver Chase Sowell and running back Carson Hansen to rebuild after a 7-6 season.
- Indiana must replace Heisman-winning QB Fernando Mendoza with TCU transfer Josh Hoover, whose turnover issues with the Horned Frogs now fall on a program coming off a 16-0 season.
- The 2026 season kicks off Aug. 29 in Dublin with North Carolina vs. TCU (noon ET, ESPN), the first matchup decided by coaches rather than courts after an offseason of eligibility lawsuits and congressional hearings.
Why it matters: The Buckeyes returning QB Sayin and WR Smith makes Ohio State's No. 1 ranking unsurprising — but the season's real volatility sits in coaching swaps (Kiffin to LSU, Campbell to Penn State, Whittingham to Michigan) and QB transitions like Indiana replacing Heisman winner Mendoza. The Aug. 29 Dublin opener hands coaches — not judges — the first crack at shaping rosters through the transfer portal.
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