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Mike's top 25 college football teams before the start of the 2026 college football season. His complete top 25 rankings, including Ohio State, Oregon, Indiana, and more.
The summer camps are coming to a close around the country as we get ready for the start of the season, which is only a week away. We've waited eight months for this! We'll revisit the power rankings as we head into the 2026 season.
Some camp battles are decided. Some are still up in the air. The AP and Coaches polls are out, so it's time for mine. If you have followed my rankings at any time over the last several years, you will notice that I try to judge solely by what has happened on the field.
That's not possible before a game has been played, so for now we are going off of roster retention, schedule, and talent. Let's get started!
25. Texas State
Spring ranking: NR
The Coaches and AP didn't have the stones to rank a team outside the Power 4, but I do. Texas State, led by freshman sensation Brad Jackson, finished seventh in FBS with 476 yards per game.
Still thinking about Brad Jackson from Texas State hurdling a defender while throwing a touchdown pass. pic.twitter.com/kBnmuysdQ3
— The Get Back Coach (@TheGBCoach) October 29, 2025
Unlike the rest of the G6 teams that were ransacked by Vikings at P4 schools armed with checkbooks instead of axes, the Bobcats remain largely intact. Jackson, along with star 1,ooo-yard receivers Chris Dawn Jr. and Beau Sparks, return to San Marcos.
RBs Greg Burrell and Torrance Burgess Jr. ran well behind star back Lincoln Pare. There is a lot to like about this Texas State team. For now, the Group of 6 still gets a "guaranteed" spot in the CFP. Right now, the Bobcats look like the best bet to take it.
24. Kansas State
Spring ranking: NR
If anyone can unlock the potential of Avery Johnson, it's former Kansas State standout Collin Klein. Look what he did for the Texas A&M offense, in particular QB Marcel Reed, over the last two seasons.
AVERY JOHNSON WAS A FLAMETHROWER IN THE SUNFLOWER SHOWDOWN 🔥
The @KStateFB QB had 4 TDs (2 Passing, 2 Rush) to go along with 231 yds in the Wildcats’ rout of their rival Kansas 👏 pic.twitter.com/LRepkzM63v
— TNT Sports U.S. (@TNTSportsUS) October 25, 2025
The track record of players returning to their alma mater to coach is very hit-and-miss. The Scott Frost disaster at Nebraska immediately comes to mind, but people forget about Mario Cristobal at Miami. It's not always a bad idea.
It won't be a bad idea in Manhattan, either. Unlike Frost, Klein didn't need to be talked into the job. He didn't need Bill Snyder to call him and beg him to take the job. This is an entirely different situation, and a very soft landing. K-State doesn't have to play Texas Tech, Utah, or BYU in the regular season.
23. North Carolina State
Spring ranking: NR
I didn't have the Pack ranked in the preseason because of the loss of RB Hollywood Smothers to Texas. That still hurts, but CJ Bailey is back at quarterback. You remember him, right?
He's the guy who took the job from Grayson McCall in 2024 and accounted for 31 touchdowns last season. Jayden Scott ran for 595 yards last season behind Smothers and has looked great in camp.
On top of that, North Carolina State has arguably the easiest ACC schedule ever assembled, which is saying a lot. Crazy things have happened in the ACC, particularly the ACC Championship, in the last two seasons.
North Carolina State is probably going to Charlotte this year. If the Pack get that far, who says a CFP berth is out of reach? This team has been on the cusp of something good for the last decade. This program has won at least eight games in seven of the last 10 seasons.
22. SMU
Spring ranking: 21 (⇓1)
Continuity at quarterback is very important in the days of instant transfers. Kevin Jennings is from the Dallas area, and he's starting Year 3 at SMU. That's as much continuity as you can get.
The latest reports don't list T.J. Harden as returning to SMU, even after being granted another year of eligibility, but they may not need him anyway. SMU is still solid all the way around.
21. Houston
Spring ranking: 22 (⇑1)
While most schools have been hurt by conference realignment in one way or another, Houston is not one of them. For the first time in school history, Houston has two five-star quarterbacks on the roster.
Conner Weigman was a five-star who initially went to Texas A&M. He's starting his second (and presumably last) year at Houston. The No. 1 overall recruit in the class, QB Keisean Henderson, stayed home at Houston and will learn from Weigman in 2026.
I’m a Conner Weigman believer and all… but Keisean Henderson 👀 pic.twitter.com/AfbyHElhO3
— SleeperCFB (@SleeperCFB) June 22, 2026
Coach Willie Fritz has already stated that Henderson will play this year. We don't know where and how much, but we do know that this Houston team just got a whole lot tougher to defend.
20. Auburn
Spring ranking: 20
Byrum Brown (6’3 231) Auburn
✅ Dual-threat ability with over 3,00 passing yards and 28 passing touchdowns and over 1,000 rushing yards and 14 rushing touchdowns in 2025
✅ Throwing on the move
✅ 75.6% adjusted completion rate during the 2025 season
✅ Thickly built frame… pic.twitter.com/NhhzJUmeSg— Bengals & Brews (@BengalsBrews) June 1, 2026
I would have Auburn ranked higher than Oklahoma State and Penn State if it weren't for the schedule. Yes, Alex Golesh and the USF team beat an SEC foe on the road in 2025 (Florida).
The offense has proven it can hang with an SEC team, and that USF offense didn't have RB Jeremiah Cobb. If the Auburn defense is as solid as it was last year, the 20 ranking might be low.
19. Michigan
Spring ranking: 19 ⇔
The buzz around Michigan is that Bryce Underwood has made huge strides under Kyle Whittingham. Despite the loss of Justice Haynes, true freshman Savion Hiter is projected to be better.
The duo of Hiter and Jordan Marshall in the backfield shouldn't miss a beat. The WR room has been improved, the defense is still stacked, and everything related to the 2023 team has been purged except for the trophy in the lobby. What could possibly go wrong?
18. Oklahoma State
Spring ranking: 14 (⇓4)
Oklahoma State is in a great place, but I do have some questions. The North Texas offense that Eric Morris built and brought to Stillwater will border on elite. Only two of the 22 starters from 2025 remain, and both are on defense.
Both will be first-time starters in 2026. I'm already on an island with Oklahoma State compared to many outlets, and I still believe in that offense. The defense is scary, and maybe not in a good way.
17. Alabama
Spring ranking: 16 (⇓1)
I'm still on the fence about Alabama. While I'm convinced this team will look better with Keelon Russell starting at quarterback, is it enough to overshadow the inefficiencies at running back?
AK Dear, who was a true freshman last year, was supposed to be the answer. So was true freshman EJ Crowell. Both are already hurt. Crowell's injury isn't expected to be serious, but Dear will miss all of September with an ankle injury.
Whatever questions we have about the offense, the defense is better. The problem is that the 2025 team wouldn't have gotten to the CFP without Ty Simpson. They're going to need another performance like that from whoever wins the QB battle. What if Bama doesn't get it?
16. USC
Spring ranking: 18 (⇑2)
How much of a difference can a defensive coordinator make? We know that the wrong one can destroy a good team. What can a good one do? The early results of the Gary Patterson defense at USC look good.
Patterson hasn't been just a defensive coach since he was the coordinator at TCU in 2000. Does he still have it in him? We know that Lincoln Riley is going to be hands-off when it comes to the defense.
I keep moving the Trojans up because the offense was humming at the end of last year and most of it is still intact. If the defense is fixed, USC is a playoff team.
15. Penn State
Spring ranking: 15 ⇔
The emergence of Ohio State transfer James Peoples in the backfield makes this team even better. Matt Campbell was notorious for having a bell cow back at Iowa State.
First it was David Montgomery. Then it was Breece Hall. Even Abu Sama III, who plowed through Kansas State like a Minnesota snowplow in a blizzard during Snowmageddon 2024, couldn't get the backfield to himself.
Carson Hansen took the job, and Campbell's liberal usage of the lead back is what led Sama to go to Wisconsin instead of following the rest of the Iowa State offense to State College.
James Peoples is on the 2026 Doak Walker Award list. The game-speed evidence has been there. 👀
We clocked the Penn State RB at 21.0 mph in high school!
See what 21.0 mph looks like ⬇️ #ReelSpeed https://t.co/t6JeS00vI5 pic.twitter.com/Zop9M63ywq
— Reel Analytics (@RAanalytics) August 19, 2026
Will Peoples supplant Hansen, or will Campbell go with the two-back system that worked so well for Penn State in the last few years? It's a good problem to have, and it means that Penn State's offense may be better than we thought.
14. LSU
Spring ranking: 17 (⇑3)
I'm not "all in" on LSU just yet, but it's getting close. Dilin Jones winning the RB1 job (or at the very least a timeshare with speedster Harlem Berry) adds another dimension to an offense that didn't really need one. Everything is falling into place for the offense, and we know the defense is good.
Can they play as a team? That's the only real question I have right now. Any other questions will be answered by high-profile NFL camp cuts that fat-cat boosters will shell out the money for.
13. Utah
Spring ranking: 13 ⇔
The gap between Utah and Texas Tech isn't what it was last year. It's not even what it was a week ago. I understand that fall camps are all about optimism. You never hear anything bad about players. That part is hidden from the public because they don't want the media hounding a guy who's having a bad camp.
I'm on board with that, but it also leaves many of us in the dark about what the state of the program really is. Tech's schedule keeps them in front of Utah for the time being, but I wouldn't be shocked if Utah has a better season. I believe in Morgan Scalley, and it's obvious that the team does as well.
12. Texas A&M
Spring ranking: 12 ⇔
It's like it took the voters an entire offseason to realize that A&M's run through the SEC was a paper tiger. That schedule looked tough in preseason, but the Aggies were fortunate to get generationally bad Florida, LSU, and Arkansas teams. This year's schedule is a bit of a bear.
It seems as though the voters are docking A&M for losing Klein to his alma mater (which is valid). These are the same voters who think Notre Dame won't miss a beat without Jeremiyah Love. These people reproduce. We should all be terrified.
11. Texas Tech
Spring ranking: 9 (⇓2)
The fact that Texas Tech is pushing hard for former Boston College and Florida State QB Thomas Castellanos after his newfound year of eligibility has me moving them down the rankings.
What does this mean? It means that Tech isn't sold on Will Hammond leading this team. He's either not 100% healthy, or he's not as good as he showed last year against Utah.
Either way, that's a concerning development. Castellanos was not the right guy to lead Florida State, but it's not like he's some elite talent either. Honestly, Hammond looked better in limited action last year than Castellanos did at any stop.
The only reason Tech would be chasing him is that the team doesn't think Hammond is ready. It's a good thing that Tech has the easiest Power 4 schedule, or another CFP berth wouldn't be a foregone conclusion.
10. Notre Dame
Spring ranking: 11 (⇑1)
I still don't know if the duo of sophomore Aneyas Williams and redshirt freshman Nolan James Jr. can replace the production of Jadarian Price and Love.
Love was a generational talent. Being drafted in the first round is proof of that. No running back had gone in the top three of the NFL Draft since Saquon Barkley in 2018 (2nd overall).
I know that I'm on an island here. I don't think CJ Carr is a Heisman finalist, and I don't think the two backs come close to the production of Love and Price.
That's not a knock on Williams and James. They will likely be very good. The fact that many pollsters think the Irish, who didn't even make the CFP last year with Love and Price, are that much better is honestly baffling.
I still have the Irish ranked here because of the CFP sweetheart deal. They're getting in this year, likely at the expense of a more deserving team.
9. BYU
Spring ranking: 8 (⇓1)
I don't know why more people aren't higher on BYU. QB Bear Bachmeier was a star last year and has looked even better in camp. LJ Martin returns to the backfield for his senior year. BYU has a healthy Sione Moa for the first time in two years.
The bad news? The CFP Committee has made it abundantly clear that it has no respect for a 10-win Big 12 team. Can BYU get that elusive 11th win?
8. Mississippi
Spring ranking: 10 (⇑2)
Pete Golding had a trial by fire in the 2025 CFP. He led Ole Miss to a win over big, bad Georgia and played the Miami team that finished as the national runner-up very close.
There is no reason to think that Ole Miss can't run it back again with Trinidad Chambliss and Kewan Lacy still leading the offense.
7. Oklahoma
Spring ranking: 7 ⇔
The air 🆙 there pic.twitter.com/SK0XzRYTqY
— Oklahoma Football (@OU_Football) August 20, 2026
John Mateer looks like a monster in camp. He looks like he ate the 2025 version of himself. That should lead to more zip on his passes and more authoritative running. The defense is better than it has been in 20 years or more.
Oklahoma has fallen flat on the national stage in the postseason for years now. They need to exorcise that demon. If not now, then when?
6. Indiana
Spring ranking: 6 ⇔
I have questions about a turnover-prone quarterback like Josh Hoover in this offense, but Fernando Mendoza threw 16 interceptions in 20 games for Cal before throwing just five in 16 games last year. Can Curt Cignetti get Hoover to curb the turnovers as well? That could be the key to the 2026 season.
5. Georgia
Spring ranking: 4 (⇓1)
The road to the SEC title still goes through Athens until someone other than Alabama proves they can win in Athens.
Georgia doesn't have a lot of superstar players, but maybe most don't hype them up. We couldn't have expected more from Gunner Stockton last year, and he should be even better this year.
4. Miami (FL)
Spring ranking: 5 (⇑1)
Word out of the Miami camp is that this team looks as good as or better than last year's runner-up team. That doesn't surprise me. Darian Mensah finished second in FBS in passing yards last season.
Many of you don't want to hear this, but he's a better fit for this offense than Carson Beck was. With Miami's schedule, I'll be surprised if they aren't in the top five at the end of the regular season.
3. Texas
Spring ranking: 2 (⇓1)
Texas has a tough schedule, but when it comes down to straight talent, it's hard to argue that Texas isn't one of the top three teams. This roster looks better than Georgia's, but when was the last time you saw Kirby Smart and the Bulldogs lose a game they shouldn't?
I don't think Texas is up here all season, but this is based on now.
2. Oregon
Spring ranking: 3 (⇑1)
If we are going just based on the roster, Oregon had little turnover, and the defense looks at least as good as last year. 2023 Texas A&M standout (and 2024 Oregon contributor) Evan Stewart has looked great in camp and adds another dimension to this offense.
Evan Stewart will reestablish himself as a top WR in CFB this season 🍿
Bookmark it 📌 pic.twitter.com/dtwhnF3g6t
— Oregon Updates (@oregon__updates) March 19, 2026
Oregon has never won a national title in football, but this could be their best chance.
1. Ohio State
Spring ranking: 1 ⇔
There's no reason to move Ohio State out of the top spot since we're ranking off rosters at this point. The Buckeyes have a tough schedule. If any team can manage a schedule like this, it's Ohio State. They're not weak at any position.
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