College Football Power Rankings by the Author and Google
College Football is back, baby! Here’s the first power rankings of the 2026 college football season!
1. Indiana (#1 in the Final 2025 Power Rankings) (Ranked #6 in the AP and Coaches Polls)
I always want to give the reigning defending champions the benefit of the doubt. For me, though, there’s not much doubt about the Indiana Hoosiers. The teams in 2024 and 2025 that went 27-2 and won a national title may be the least talented teams Curt Cignetti has at Indiana. He’s poised to be the next Nick Saban. The best hope for the rest of the college football world is that he’ll pull a Dusty May and try his hand in the pros.
The Hoosiers lost a lot from last year but also brought back some big pieces like Charlie Becker and Tyrique Tucker, too. They did well in the transfer portal with Nick Marsh from Michigan State and Josh Hoover from TCU. I’m not saying Hoover is going to go 16-0 and win the Heisman like Fernando Mendoza did last year, but Hoover had a better career at TCU than Mendoza did at Cal. Indiana has as strong a case for the top spot as anyone that can be considered for it. They’re my #1 team until they prove it otherwise on the field.
2. Ohio State (#3 in the Final 2025 Power Rankings) (Ranked #1 in the AP and Coaches Polls)
These Bucks only stop themselves. Critical errors caused them to lose their final two games last year against the two best teams in the nation. They lost to Indiana because of poor special teams and to Miami because they minimized their second-half opportunities to come back in the Cotton Bowl. The Buckeyes lost a ton of talent from last year’s superpowered defense and hit the transfer portal hard to make up for it. They also have plenty of young talent ready to step up. Still, losing Caleb Downs, Sonny Styles, Arvell Reese, and more will make it difficult to reload. The defense will still be elite, but maybe not quite as good as 2024 and 2025.
The good news for Ohio State is the offense will be that much more elite this season. Their offensive line and quarterback Julian Sayin have a year of experience to build off, and their elite receiving corps just gets better and better. Their running game is returning a 1,000-yard rusher and has depth at the position. The only thing stopping this offense and Jeremiah Smith is itself.
3. Notre Dame (#13 in the Final 2025 Power Rankings) (Ranked #4 and #5 in the AP and Coaches Polls)
The Fighting Irish, like the Buckeyes, replace some generational talents, but like OSU, they are poised to reload, and reload quickly instead of rebuilding. CJ Carr, like Julian Sayin, is only going to be better when he was already great last year. Notre Dame’s schedule is better this year than last year, too. It’s strong, and more evenly balanced throughout the season instead of so heavily loaded at the beginning of the year like it was in 2025. They got great receivers for CJ Carr in a couple of transfers from Ohio State who couldn’t wait behind Jeremiah Smith any longer, and veteran Jaden Greathouse. Look for Anyeas Williams to keep their rushing game powerful in the absence of the legends they lost last year.
Notre Dame’s defense is very strong and experienced, particularly in the back seven. Chris Ash has had a spotty record as a head coach, but remember he’s a national championship-winning defensive coordinator. With Marcus Freeman being a defensive coach, Notre Dame has the pieces to be great on both sides of the football. This may be the best team he has had in South Bend.
4. Oregon (#4 in the Final 2025 Power Rankings) (Ranked #2 in the AP and Coaches Polls)
Oregon is facing the same dilemma as Ohio State, and Dan Lanning is a lot like Ryan Day was in 2024. They’ve been so talented, and so close for so long, that the pressure is building. The good news, like Notre Dame, this may be the best team they’ve had under Coach Lanning. Dante Moore is a great quarterback with tons of potential.
5. Texas (#18 in the Final 2025 Power Rankings) (Ranked #5 and #4 in the AP and Coaches Polls)
People are still not sold on this Texas team, and losing an all-American offensive tackle to injury for the start of the season doesn’t help things. Texas is facing a lot of pressure this season. Anything less than a playoff berth will have Steve Sarkisian’s seat feeling warm. Sark and Arch Manning will rise to the occasion. Their early game against Ohio State is a 50/50 game, but after that, Texas should only improve every week. A lot is on the line for the Longhorns this season, but I think they answer the bell and are a playoff team come December.
6. Georgia (#10 in the Final 2025 Power Rankings) (Ranked #3 in the AP and Coaches Polls)
While Texas may be facing the most pressure in the SEC, Georgia is not far behind, and they’re having to answer more questions. Their early exits from the playoffs in 2024 and 2025 have made fans feel like 2021 and 2022 were longer ago than five short years. Kirby Smart needs to show that he can win in this new format, but there’s no doubt he’s the most accomplished coach in college football right now, and is so for a reason. Quarterback Gunnar Stockton and another bone-crushing defense will have Georgia in the playoffs for the fifth time in the last six seasons.
7. Miami (#2 in the Final 2025 Power Rankings) (Ranked #7 in the AP and Coaches Polls)
The Canes’ postseason in 2025 erased a lot of doubts about the state of that program, yet some still remain. They’re head-scratching regular-season losses from last year and at other times in the Mario Cristobal Era haven’t been completely buried just yet. Another top-tier transfer quarterback, a regular season without suffering massive upsets, and a second straight playoff berth will erase every doubt short of the kind that can only be destroyed with a national championship victory.
8. BYU (#7 in the Final 2025 Power Rankings) (Ranked #14 and #15 in the AP and Coaches Polls)
College football has a lot of elite coaches right now. Kalani Sitake is one of the best. Only Curt Cignetti has done more, and in many ways BYU is tougher to lead to victory than even Indiana was. Noise around BYU’s goofy athletic director not backing the football team because he wants to make Cougars a basketball school has been a distraction that’s causing a lot of smoke. If given the proper support, BYU can stay in the top 12 every year like Sitake has led them to in the past two seasons. The BYU program and fans can’t wait to get back to playing football just so they can talk about the actual game. Bear Bachmeier is the Big 12 Tim Tebow, and LJ Martin is one of the nation’s best running backs. They should lead the Big 12, and the conference should get two teams into the College Football Playoff.
9. Texas Tech (#6 in the Final 2025 Power Rankings) (Ranked #12 in the AP and Coaches Polls)
Texas Tech’s biggest question mark is at quarterback. The wild Brendan Sorsby saga aside, they have a solid option with Will Hammond. Hammond was solid last year as a backup and in for an injured Behren Morton a time or two. The question is, can he do that consistently every week, and is he fully recovered from the injury that ended his 2025 season? As he goes, so does Texas Tech, and there are reasons for optimism in Lubbock. Texas Tech and BYU will again be the top teams in the Big 12, hopefully this time one isn’t snubbed out of the College Football Playoff
10. Texas A&M (#9 in the Final 2025 Power Rankings) (Ranked #8 in the AP and Coaches Polls)
The doubts about the Aggies come from how lackluster they were as they finished their season last year. The good news is that the way 2025 ended will be powerful fuel for them in 2026. They lose some big names like Cashius Howell, but get big names back like Marcel Reed and Mario Craver. A&M should be able to build momentum heading into the second and tougher half of their schedule in late October.
11. Washington (#25 in the Final 2025 Power Rankings) (Ranked #17 and #19 in the AP and Coaches Polls)
One of the most underrated teams coming into 2026, Washington is a playoff dark horse. Demond Williams is an underrated quarterback. Despite the difficulty of opening the season against your rival Washington State in the Apple Cup, and finishing with back-to-back games against Indiana and Oregon, the schedule plays out well for Washington. Their toughest game in their first ten is against USC, so the Huskies should be around 9-1 or 10-0 when they play the Hoosiers in November with playoff implications on the line.
12. Ole Miss (#5 in the Final 2025 Power Rankings) (Ranked #9 and #10 in the AP and Coaches Polls)
Ole Miss had a great postseason under head coach Pete Golding, but with only three games under his belt, the Rebels have a lot to prove. They have some of the best players in college football in Trinidad Chambliss and Kewan Lacy. They also have maybe the toughest schedule in the SEC, with the only major power not on it being Alabama. LSU and Georgia at home with road trips to Florida, Texas, and Oklahoma will make a second straight playoff appearance a tall order.
13. USC (Unranked in the Final 2025 Power Rankings) (Ranked #14 in the AP and Coaches Polls)
You still don’t really know what you’re going to get with USC. You expect an elite offense from Jayden Maiava and company but once again have a huge question mark about defense for a Lincoln Riley-led program. Having TCU coaching legend Gary Patterson as your defensive coordinator should be helpful, but the college football world can’t help but be skeptical given Riley’s track record. There will be growing pains, but it’s uncertain how severe they’ll be. The good news is they have a manageable first four games. The bad news is they have a brutal six-week stretch from the end of September to early November.
14. Oklahoma (#20 in the Final 2025 Power Rankings) (Ranked #10 and #9 in the AP and Coaches Polls)
While USC has an easier early schedule, Riley’s old school has a tougher one. Three of their first five games are at UM, at Georgia, and then in Dallas against Texas. John Mateer is a good quarterback who’s battled some injuries and had to do a lot last year. That doesn’t look like it will change much this season. Mateer will have to carry Oklahoma, and it will be difficult for him to carry them back to the CFP.
15. LSU (Unranked in the Final 2025 Power Rankings) (Ranked #11 and #13 in the AP and Coaches Polls)
I’m just not sold on LSU in their first year of Lane Kiffin. LSU always has a lot of talent, but it’s not easy to put it all together, especially in year one after a 7-6 season. Arizona State transfer quarterback Sam Leavitt had a great season winning a Big 12 Championship and making the College Football Playoff for the Sun Devils in 2024. However, an injury-filled 2025 and a drastic change in scenery from Tempe to Baton Rouge makes how well Kiffin, Leavitt, and LSU will do this season a little more suspect. At least Leavitt will have all-American Jordan Seaton watching his blind side.
16. Penn State (Unranked in the Final 2025 Power Rankings) (Ranked #18 and #17 in the AP and Coaches Polls)
Another high-profile program, coach, and quarterback all starting new chapters after Big 12 success, Penn State, Matt Campbell, and Rocco Becht have their work cut out for them. Like LSU, there is a lot of uncertainty around this new start. Campbell and Becht have a track record for some key wins at Iowa State, and I expect them to get some important and even some surprise wins in their Big Ten debut this season.
17. Utah (#12 in the Final 2025 Power Rankings) (Ranked #21 in the AP and Coaches Polls)
The Morgan Scalley Era has a fantastic foundation for the beginning of a new ear of Utah football. Devon Dampier has fantastic potential and can do it all at quarterback. The Big 12 is maybe the most competitive conference in college football, yet along with their rivals in Provo and Texas Tech, Utah is in the top three of the whole pack. Maybe even more importantly than losing their head coach to UM, they lost one of the best offensive coordinators they’ve ever had to Ann Arbor, too. Utah is still poised to follow up an 11-2 year with a second straight season of double-digit wins.
18. SMU (Unranked in the Final 2025 Power Rankings) (Ranked #19 and #20 in the AP and Coaches Polls)
Another head coach and quarterback combination that has won a lot of games for their program is at SMU. Like Utah, SMU is also one of the top three teams in their conference. Miami, the Mustangs, and Louisville are leading the ACC this season. SMU is doing so because of Rhett Lashlee and Kevin Jennings. They lucked into a playoff berth in 2024 over a team they lost to, and had a great win over Miami last season, so this year is the time to win some hardware. An ACC title and a playoff berth are not beyond the realm of possibility.
19. Louisville (Unranked in the Final 2025 Power Rankings) (Ranked #24 and Unranked in the AP and Coaches Polls)
Jeff Brohm is the best head coach Louisville could have in college football right now. Cards fans will want Louisville to continue to progress and take steps forward, and this year they have an opportunity to do just that. They have a quarterback who spent his first three seasons learning at Ohio State, and Brohm has had success with his transfer signal-callers. Lincoln Kienholz from South Dakota should be another in that line.
20. Iowa (Unranked in the Final 2025 Power Rankings) (Ranked #22 in the AP and Coaches Polls)
Iowa is going to Iowa. The Hawkeyes will have a fantastic defense, elite special teams, and an offense that will struggle to be anything but painfully one-dimensional. That’s their identity under Kirk Ferentz and has given them the stability they’ve had for so long, and kept them from being less than what they are. It also means that when they do get a decent offense, they’re able to compete with anyone they play.
21. Alabama (#19 in the Final 2025 Power Rankings) (Ranked #13 and #11 in the AP and Coaches Polls)
While only three years ago, the days of Alabama being a top five team every year just because of their head coach are long gone. Kalen DeBoer and Keelon Russell will have the tall task of leading Alabama as the head coach and quarterback combo this year. It will take a lot to heal the massive wound the Indiana Hoosiers inflicted on Alabama in the Rose Bowl, and Keelon Russell will have to carry that weight and his team.
22. Arizona (Unranked in the Final 2025 Power Rankings) (Unranked in the AP and Coaches Polls)
Noah Fifita is not only very skilled and a great player, but he’s also very rare. You just don’t and won’t see four-year starters like him much anymore in college football that have the level of success he does. Fifita has over 9,000 passing yards and 73 touchdown passes going into his final year at Arizona. He’s going to get some more big wins to go with his stats before this season is over.
23. Houston (#10 in Final 2025 Power Rankings) (Ranked #23 and #24 in the AP and Coaches Polls)
The 16th team of the top 25 that has a combination of a head coach and quarterback who have won more than a few games together is the Houston Cougars. Willie Fritz and Connor Weigman went 10-3 last year, and Weigman had over 3,400 yards and 36 touchdowns passing and rushing. The Cougars will look to lean on this veteran player again while they fight for a Big 12 Championship.
24. Oklahoma State (Unranked in the Final 2025 Power Rankings) (Unranked in the AP and Coaches Polls)
I was impressed with what Eric Morris, Drew Mestemaker, and Caleb Hawkins did at North Texas last year. All three are now at Oklahoma State; I believe they are a great fit in Stillwater and in the Big 12. The Cowboys have had two horrible seasons, but just three years ago they were 10-4 and playing in the Big 12 Championship Game. They fell hard the last two seasons, but I don’t think they fell hard enough for them to not be competitive in the first year of a new. The Morris, Mestemaker, and Hawkins trio will make Oklahoma State competitive in the most competitive conference in college football.
25. UNLV (#24 in Final 2025 Power Rankings) (Unranked in the AP and Coaches Polls)
UNLV is my pick to be the Group of Six team to make the College Football Playoff in 2026. Dan Mullen is a very good coach, and UNLV is the top team in the Mountain West. Oklahoma and Auburn transfer Jackson Arnold looks to be a good fit for Mullen’s system, which was one of the best offenses in the Group of Five last year. UNLV could very well go 13-0 and get in the CFP.
College Football Playoff Projection
