Ohio State tops coaches poll; defending champ Indiana out of top 5

Field Level Media|published: Tue 4th August, 13:57 2026

Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Julian Sayin (10) celebrates a touchdown by wide receiver Jeremiah Smith (4) during the second half of the NCAA football game against the Ohio Bobcats at Ohio Stadium on Sept. 13, 2025. Ohio State won 37-9.

Defending College Football Playoff champion Indiana, coming off an undefeated season, is not the Big Ten conference member at the top of the preseason coaches poll.

Instead, it is Ohio State that was voted No. 1 in the poll, according to results released Tuesday by USA Today.

Another Big Ten program, Oregon, landed at No. 2, ahead of Southeastern Conference programs Georgia and Texas, then Notre Dame, an independent.

Indiana comes in at No. 6 but with 14 of the 72 first-place votes cast, second only to Ohio State's 38. Each of the top six finishers received at least two first-place votes.

Ohio State last topped the preseason coaches poll in 2015. It's the first time since 2008 that six teams earned first-place votes.

Miami, which lost to Indiana in the CFP title game last winter, was voted No. 7, with Texas A&M, Oklahoma and Ole Miss rounding out the top 10.

Alabama is No. 11, marking the first time since 2008 that the Crimson Tide will start a season outside the top 10 in the coaches poll.

Ohio State (Julian Sayin), Oregon (Dante Moore), Georgia (Gunner Stockton), Texas (Arch Manning) and Notre Dame (C.J. Carr) all return their starting quarterbacks from the 2025 season. Indiana will have a new QB (TCU transfer Josh Hoover) following the graduation of Francisco Mendoza, who won the Heisman Trophy and was the No. 1 overall pick by the Las Vegas Raiders in the 2026 NFL Draft.

In all, the SEC is represented by nine teams, and the Big Ten by eight in the preseason poll. The Big 12, topped by No. 12 Texas Tech, has four members on the list. The Atlantic Coast Conference has three, with No. 23 Clemson in its lowest starting spot since 2011.

Texas was the preseason No. 1 last season and finished 10-3, never recovering from an opening-week 14-7 loss to Ohio State.

The Buckeyes, 12-2 in 2025, open their season Sept. 5 at home against Ball State, then travel to Austin for a Week 2 showdown with Texas.

2026 coaches poll preseason Top 25 rankings

1. Ohio State (38 first-place votes)

2. Oregon (6)

3. Georgia (7)

4. Texas (2)

5. Notre Dame (5)

6. Indiana (14)

7. Miami

8. Texas A&M

9. Oklahoma