College Football’s way too early Top 25 for 2026

By Chris Marler

It’s a tradition unlike any other. Before the last piece of confetti has ever fallen in the previous season, let’s look ahead to next season and egregiously and overzealously make some way too early rankings. 

Now, I am not arrogant enough to be ignorant about next year’s teams and who will be ranked where, let alone deserve to be ranked where. As someone who has watched college football long enough though, I am very aware of how this goes every year, so let’s give it a shot. 

2026 way too early Top 25 

1. Texas (because of course)
2. Ohio State (because of course again)
3. The defending national champ even though they haven’t been dethroned 
4. Georgia 
5. Oregon
6. Texas Tech/Insert NIL juggernaut here 
7. LSU
8. Notre Dame 
9. Texas A&M
10. A Big Ten team that finishes unranked 
11. An ACC team that everyone is too high on
12. Alabama 
13. Miami
14. BYU 
15. Michigan 
16. The team that ends up in the Pop-Tart Bowl or Clemson
17. Oklahoma 
18. An ACC team that goes 9-3 or 8-4 but beats Miami for some reason 
19. A team that makes the CFP but won’t be ranked in the top 12 until November for some reason
20. Utah or some other Big 12 school that goes 10-2 and misses the CFP 
21. Missouri or Tennessee for no reason at all
22. Boise State 
23. SMU or TCU (I can’t explain why)
24. An SEC or Big Ten team that finishes 5-7
25. A military institute or G6 school