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College football fans have been waiting on this day for months. With the preseason AP Top-25 now released, every fan has a reason to either complain or rejoice, as the 2026 season is just two weeks away.
Voters from across the country — some of whom have no clue about teams in other regions, no matter how much research they do — release their rankings for the college football world to argue about for the next few weeks leading up to Labor Day weekend.
This is also the time of year when local sports talk radio shows flourish, inciting near-riots over how their team was shafted compared to others within their own conference. It’s a gold mine of radio segments that will pass the time until an actual ball is kicked off.
2025 AP Top 25 Poll Shake-Up: Ohio State Takes No. 1, Alabama Tumbles After Florida State Loss
But I want you to remember something while you’re digesting the initial 2026 rankings: Twelve teams ranked in the preseason AP Top 25 last season finished outside the poll when the 2025 season concluded.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL IS FINALLY BACK AFTER MONTHS OF NCAA LAWSUITS, NIL DRAMA AND CONGRESSIONAL FIGHTS
Meaning: Don't freak out over where your team lands over the next month. How do you think Penn State, LSU and Clemson fans felt heading into the 2025 season compared to how it ended?
L-R: LSU president Wade Rousse, LSU new head coach Lane Kiffin and LSU athletic director Verge Ausberry stand together at South Stadium Club at Tiger Stadium. (Matthew Hinton/Imagn Images)
Ok, everyone hold your breath as you go through the list of teams who some voters across the country are expecting big things from over the next five months.
Also, please don't forget that AP voters are spread out across the country, and obviously don't follow your favorite team closely on a daily basis. I would imagine a percentage of voters had to perform a good amount of research on who the starting quarterbacks were at some schools.
Better yet, we have no idea who some of these teams will be rolling out as the week-one starter, and we still have at least one more scrimmage in Fall camp for a nice chunk of these programs
Well, Clemson was the first team just on the outside receiving votes, followed by Florida, Boise State, Arizona and TCU.
Clemson Tigers head coach Dabo Swinney prepares to run on the field with his team before a game against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field on Sept. 13, 2025. (Brett Davis/Imagn Images)
Yes, the Associated Press poll does carry more weight in the eyes of fans, compared to the USA Today coaches poll that is usually voted on by the sports information directors or some staffer at each school.
No, the coaches aren't taking time out of their day to piece together a poll on their rivals.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL IS FINALLY BACK AFTER MONTHS OF NCAA LAWSUITS, NIL DRAMA AND CONGRESSIONAL FIGHTS
How weird is it not to see Florida State in a preseason poll? Mike Norvell had better turn things around in Tallahassee, or his time coaching the Seminoles could end before conference title games.
Ok, I could have a pretty strong argument on South Carolina not being ranked in the Top-25, but it seems as though voters are under the impression Clemson has more talent than the Gamecocks in the 'receiving votes' category.
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Ohio State deserves to be at the top, and we'll obviously find out about the Texas Longhorns when the Buckeyes roll into Austin during week two.
Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning warms up before a game against the Texas A&M Aggies at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin, Texas. (Scott Wachter/Imagn Images)
Alabama coming in at No. 13 feels about right, while voters are obviously giving Penn State the historical treatment as Matt Campbell enters his first season in Happy Valley.
As for the very expensive roster that Lane Kiffin assembled at LSU, it seems as though money can't buy you top-ten votes, and we'll find out soon enough if it can buy the Tigers' wins.
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Oh, and USC being ranked No. 14 is fair, but my goodness the pressure is on Lincoln Riley to win this season.
Anything less than an appearance in the College Football Playoff will spell disaster for his tenure with the Trojans.
Remember, take a breath. Make sure to infiltrate your local sports talk radio shows, and let me know how you feel in the comments below.
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We're here folks. College Football season is just two weeks away!!
Trey Wallace is the Sr. College Sports Reporter for OutKick.
