RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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See the full story · 2 sourcesThe 2026 college football season is almost upon us, and we now have the first preseason poll to sink our teeth into.
The initial preseason USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll was released on Tuesday, and the Ohio State Buckeyes come in at No. 1. Ryan Day's team was one of only two squads to receive double-digit first-place votes (38), the other being reigning national champion Indiana.
However, despite receiving 14 first-place votes, the Hoosiers did not crack the top five. They came in at No. 6, behind No. 2 Oregon , No. 3 Georgia , No. 4 Texas and No. 5 Notre Dame .
Elsewhere in the top 25, last year's national runner-up, Miami, ranks No. 7. Lane Kiffin's LSU squad sits in the top 15, while another pair of teams who struggled last season, Clemson and Penn State , also found themselves ranked.
Here's the full preseason top 25 in the coaches poll.
2026 Preseason USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll
Rank School (Record) Points Last Season's Rank 1st Place Votes 1 Ohio State (12-2) 1,741 6 38 2 Oregon (13-2) 1,637 4 6 3 Georgia (12-2) 1,591 5 7 4 Texas (10-3) 1,544 13 2 5 Notre Dame (10-2) 1,524 11 5 6 Indiana (16-0) 1,522 1 14 7 Miami, FL (13-3) 1,409 2 - 8 Texas A&M (11-2) 1,174 8 - 9 Oklahoma (10-3) 1,104 10 - 10 Mississippi (13-2) 1,096 3 - 11 Alabama (11-4) 1,050 9 - 12 Texas Tech (12-2) 1,034 7 - 13 LSU (7-6) 951 NR - 14 USC (9-4) 838 21 - 15 BYU (12-2) 781 12 - 16 Michigan (9-4) 719 22 - 17 Penn State (7-6) 463 NR - 18 Tennessee (8-5) 428 NR - 19 Washington (9-4) 406 NR - 20 SMU (9-4) 378 NR - 21 Utah (11-2) 313 14 - 22 Iowa (9-4) 291 17 - 23 Clemson (7-6) 235 NR - 24 Houston (10-3) 194 19 - 25 Missouri (8-5) 158 NR -
Others Receiving Votes
Louisville 153; Florida 147; TCU 63; Illinois 62; South Carolina 50; Arizona 50; Virginia 40; Vanderbilt 37; Auburn 29; Georgia Tech 26; Boise State 24; Oklahoma State 22; UNLV 17; North Carolina State 13; Florida State 13; Virginia Tech 12; Nebraska 12; Memphis 9; Arizona State 8; James Madison 6; Duke 6; Pittsburgh 4; New Mexico 4; Western Michigan 3; Navy 3; San Diego State 2; Kansas State 1; Jacksonville State 1; Hawaii 1; California 1;
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This article originally appeared on College Sports Wire: Ohio State leads the way in preseason USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll
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