The AP Top 25 was released Monday, the final mile marker on the way to the 2026 college football season. Like the coaches poll, it was topped by Ohio State. We have plenty of notes and nuggets below, but let's begin with the full poll:
1. Ohio State -- 1,672 total points (40 first-place votes)
2. Oregon -- 1,597 (14)
3. Georgia -- 1,513
4. Notre Dame -- 1,510 (6)
5. Texas -- 1,483
6. Indiana -- 1,440 (8)
7. Miami -- 1,379 (1)
8. Texas A&M -- 1,131
9. Ole Miss -- 1,102
10. Oklahoma -- 1,047
11. LSU -- 988
12. Texas Tech -- 983
13. Alabama -- 904
14. BYU -- 839
14. USC -- 839
16. Michigan -- 718
17. Washington -- 501
18. Penn State -- 482
19. SMU -- 434
20. Tennessee -- 394
21. Utah -- 304
22. Iowa -- 260
23. Houston -- 252
24. Louisville -- 194
25. Missouri -- 117
A few notes:
-- The last team to start and end the year as the AP No. 1 was Alabama in 2017.
-- Ohio State starts in the AP top-5 for the 10th consecutive year, extending a school record, in the AP top-6 for the 14th consecutive season, but in the pole position (pun intended) for the first time since 2015. The Buckeyes have began 21 of the last 24 seasons in the top-10, and last started a season unranked in 1988. On the Buckeyes' schedule? At No. 5 Texas, at No. 22 Iowa, at No. 6 Indiana, at No. 14 USC, vs. No. 2 Oregon, vs. No. 16 Michigan. And an Illinois team with a school-record 19 wins over the past two seasons.
-- Oregon's No. 2 ranking is a school record. Per AP poll historian Ralph Russo, the Big Ten is the first league since the Big 8 in 1987 to take the top two spots in the preseason poll.
-- Two steps behind Ohio State, Georgia opens in the AP top-5 for the ninth straight season. This marks the Bulldogs 25th straight season to begin in the AP Top 25.
-- Texas is not No. 1 like last year, but Steve Sarkisian's Longhorns begin in the top-5 for the third consecutive season, the program's longest streak since ripping off eight straight from 2000-07. The Longhorns face nearly a third of the other teams in the Top 25: No. 1 Ohio State, No. 8 Texas A&M, No. 9 Ole Miss, No. 10 Oklahoma, No. 11 LSU, No. 20 Tennessee, and No. 25 Missouri.
-- Indiana, at No. 6 as foretold more than three months ago, is in the preseason AP Top 25 for just the fifth time in school history. Their No. 6 starting point bests the previous school record, No. 13 in 1968. Though nearly every single poll has coalesced with Indiana at No. 6, opinions were all over the place on the defending national champions. IU's eight first-place votes trailed only No. 1 Ohio State's 40 and No. 2 Oregon's 14. Not a single SEC team earned a first-place vote.
-- The Big Ten and SEC ate up 17 of the 25 spots in the poll, and a Group of 6 team did not make the preseason Top 25 for the third time in the last five seasons. Last year's Boise State squad, checking in at No. 25, is the only non-Power 4 team to start the year ranked in the past three seasons.
-- Texas Tech is enjoying its highest pre-season ranking since starting 2008 at No. 12. The Red Raiders have opened back-to-back seasons within the rankings for the first time since 2005-06.
-- Continuing a theme of "since 2007/08" stats, Alabama's No. 13 ranking is its lowest starting point since opening the 2008 season at No. 24.
-- Similarly, Clemson is off to its lowest start since 2011. The Tigers' streak of 14 straight AP top-16 starts has been snapped. Dabo Swinney's team checked in unofficially at No. 26, falling five votes short of Missouri for the final spot in the poll.
-- Miami's No. 7 ranking is its best since 2018.
-- Notre Dame's No. 4 ranking marks its highest start since 2006 at No. 2.
-- SMU opens consecutive seasons within the AP Top 25 for the first time since the Death Penalty. The Mustangs began four straight seasons within the rankings from 1982-85.
-- Louisville is in the AP Top 25 to begin the season for the first time since 2017.
Finally, we'll close early-season games pitting AP Top 25 opponents:
-- No. 24 Louisville vs. No. 9 Ole Miss (at Nashville) -- 7:30 p.m. ET Sunday Sept. 6, ABC
-- No. 10 Oklahoma at No. 16 Michigan -- noon ET Sept. 12, Fox
-- No. 1 Ohio State at No. 5 Texas -- 7:30 p.m. ET Sept. 12, ABC
-- No. 23 Houston at No. 12 Texas Tech -- 8 p.m. ET Friday Sept. 18, Fox
-- No. 11 LSU at No. 9 Ole Miss -- 7:30 p.m. ET Sept. 19, ABC