Ohio State and Oregon Lead Preseason Coaches Poll; Indiana at No. 6

Ohio State and Oregon topped the 2026 preseason college football Coaches Poll, with Indiana debuting at No. 6, according to the rankings revealed on August 4, 2026. Ohio State secured the top position by edging out Oregon, marking the first time a Big Ten team has been ranked No. 1 in the coaches' poll since 2015, when Ohio State was coming off a College Football Playoff Championship.

In total, Ohio State received 38 first-place votes, which was the most of any team in the poll. Defending CFP champion Indiana, despite its respectable No. 6 ranking, garnered 14 first-place votes. Other teams that received top votes included Oregon (6), Texas (7), Georgia (2), and Notre Dame (5), completing the top five.

The complete Coaches Poll rankings were as follows:
1. Ohio State (12-2)
2. Oregon (13-2)
3. Georgia (12-2)
4. Texas (10-3)
5. Notre Dame (10-2)
6. Indiana (16-0)
7. Miami (13-3)
8. Texas A&M (11-2)
9. Oklahoma (10-3)
10. Ole Miss (13-2)
11. Alabama (11-4)
12. Texas Tech (12-2)
13. LSU (7-6)
14. USC (9-4)
15. BYU (12-2)
16. Michigan (9-4)
17. Penn State (7-6)
18. Tennessee (8-5)
19. Washington (9-4)
20. SMU (9-4)
21. Utah (11-2)
22. Iowa (9-4)
23. Clemson (7-6)
24. Houston (10-3)
25. Missouri (8-5)

The Coaches Poll historically does not predict the football season's outcome accurately. The previous year, only 14 teams from the preseason top 25 remained in the final polls. During the 2024-25 season, just 12 teams appeared in both polls. Alabama last ranked No. 1 in the coaches poll and subsequently secured a College Football Playoff title in 2017.

For the third season in a row, the SEC included nine teams in the preseason poll, with five other SEC teams, besides Georgia and Texas, appearing within the top 13. Georgia continues its streak of nine consecutive years ranked in the top five of the coaches poll. Other SEC teams in the poll are Texas A&M (No. 8), Oklahoma (No. 9), Ole Miss (No. 10), Alabama (No. 11), LSU (No. 13), Tennessee (No. 18), and Missouri (No. 25).

The Big Ten had eight teams in the rankings, including reigning CFP champion Indiana at No. 6 and also including USC (No. 14), Michigan (No. 16), Penn State (No. 17), Washington (No. 19), and Iowa (No. 22). Ohio State has consistently been ranked in the top five since 2015. The other Power 4 conferences collectively had seven teams represented; the Big 12 had four teams, while the ACC had three. It marked Clemson’s lowest preseason ranking since 2011.