Week 1 AP Poll Reaction: 2026 College Football

The college football season has officially begun, with Weeks 0 and 1 now in the books. On Tuesday, the AP voters released the first AP Top 25 Poll of the season, and there weren’t many changes, with Louisville being the only ranked team to lose last week. However, the only notable change was that Michigan fell out of the rankings after a controversial win over Western Michigan, with Virginia replacing them. 

Now that the Week 1 AP Poll has been officially released, let’s break down what the AP Poll voters got right and wrong by making my own personal rankings.

1. Ohio State

After a nail-biting victory over Texas in its season opener last season, Ohio State had a much more dominant season opener this time around as it defeated Ball State by 53 points. 

The Buckeyes were dominant in this win, with quarterback Julian Sayin posting a QBR of 97.8, 320 passing yards, three touchdowns, and one rushing touchdown. Wide receiver Jeremiah Smith posted eight receptions for 151 yards and two touchdowns, and Ohio State’s rushing attack scored three touchdowns. The defense limited Ball State to three points and 165 yards on offense. With a road showdown against No. 4 Texas on the horizon this week, this was a great victory for the Buckeyes to find their rhythm and prepare for the matchup. They deserve to keep their No.1 status and have a huge opportunity to strengthen it with a road win over Texas.  

2. Georgia 

Just like Ohio State, Georgia annihilated its Week One opponent, Tennessee State, as it beat it by 60 points at home. 

The Bulldogs clicked on both sides of the ball: their offense scored 63 points, and their defense limited Tennessee State to three. Quarterback Gunner Stockton played an incredible game as he threw for 202 passing yards, three touchdowns, and only missed one throw in 16 attempts. The running attack also continues to be elite, scoring four touchdowns, with Nate Frazier scoring three on four carries and 72 rushing yards. The defense shut down Tennessee State’s offense to less than 110 yards and 10 rushing yards. Georgia will have one more out-of-conference game this week against Western Kentucky before it begins SEC play. But for now, this team looks primed to contend for the national championship and deserving of the No.2 spot in the AP Poll.

3. Notre Dame

After losing its season opener to Miami last year, Notre Dame got off to a better start this season with a 41-13 win over Wisconsin at Lambeau Field. However, the Fighting Irish had to fight harder than they’d like to secure the victory. 

Notre Dame got off to a slow start in the first half, scoring 13 points, letting Wisconsin score 10 points, and going into halftime with a three-point lead. It overcame that slow start and began executing its game plan, scoring 28 of its 41 points in the second half and limiting Wisconsin to three points. Quarterback CJ Carr played much better in the second half to finish the game with 239 passing yards and two touchdowns. Running back Aneyas Williams scored two touchdowns on 20 carries and 90 yards. The defense forced two turnovers, one pick-six and one fumble. The Fighting Irish salvaged the game with a dominant second-half performance and proved that they are among the best three teams in the country. However, they will need faster starts to go toe-to-toe with stronger competition like Miami later in the season. 

4. Texas

After failing to meet expectations in last year’s opener against Ohio State, Texas looked significantly better in its season opener with a convincing victory over Texas State. With a performance like that, it deserves to be in the top four of the rankings. 

The Longhorns were dominant in this win as they scored 59 points, limited Texas State to seven points, and quarterback Arch Manning looked much more comfortable this time around. Other than throwing an interception, Manning threw for 305 passing yards and four touchdowns, showing potential for a resurgent season after a disappointing last season. They have two top wide receivers in Ryan Wingo and Cam Coleman, who both combined for 191 yards and three touchdowns. Despite limiting Texas State to seven points and forcing three turnovers, the defense will need to play better, as it allowed 349 yards. The Longhorns will enter the game against Ohio State with a lot of confidence as they have a chance to get revenge from their loss last season against Ohio State.

5. Miami

Miami had a very dominant and impressive win over Stanford as it scored 45 points and limited its opponent to six, making it deserving of the No. 5 spot in the rankings. 

The Hurricanes showed that they have the potential to avenge their loss in the national championship as they played much better than Indiana and Oregon. Despite losing quarterback Carson Beck to the NFL Draft, transfer quarterback Darian Mensah proved that he is capable of leading this team just like Beck did as he threw for 401 passing yards, five touchdowns, and a 90% completion percentage. Malachi Toney showed why he is in the running for the Heisman trophy this season as the wide receiver had 234 receiving yards on 12 receptions and three touchdowns. Despite having two turnovers, this was a complete performance from Miami.
In my opinion, they were more deserving of the No. 5 spot in the rankings after dominating an ACC opponent. 

6. Indiana 

The defending national champions got off to a flying start in their bid to repeat as national champions with a 52-16 win over North Texas. However, they were tested through three quarters of the game as North Texas trailed by less than 19 points, making them less deserving of the No. 5 spot in the rankings than Miami. 

While the offense played a great game, the defense did not play to their level through most of the game as they let North Texas score a field goal or touchdown in three of its first five possessions. They let North Texas have more first downs and yards than Indiana despite the scoreline. It took till a 21-0 fourth quarter for the Hoosiers to pull away in this game. The offensive performance was encouraging with quarterback Josh Hoover throwing for 231 passing yards and four touchdowns. However, there are a lot of things that this team needs to clean up, especially on defense.

7. Oregon

After starting the season as the No. 2 team in the country, the AP voters got it right to drop Oregon to No. 7 after an uninspiring win over Boise State. 

They were down by 10 with less than two minutes in the first half and their offense only scored once in their first five possessions. However, they were able to survive the upset as its offense scored points in six consecutive possessions and limited Boise State’s defense to 10 points in the second half. The offense played really well as Dante Moore threw for 378 passing yards and three touchdowns. It has an established No.1 wide receiver in Jeremiah McClellan, who had 150 receiving yards on six receptions and a touchdown. Despite the dominant offense, there are a lot of things that this team needs to improve on as they committed 10 penalties compared to Boise State’s three, failed to convert a fourth down on three attempts, and let their opponent score 27 points. 

8. LSU

After the Lane Kiffin era began with an interception by Sam Leavitt, LSU hit a new gear as it dominated Clemson with a 51-10 win. 

This was a very impressive win over a Clemson team that some people argued should have been in the top 25 in the AP Pre-Season Poll. A big reason for the deserved jump from No. 11 to No. 8 was the way it beat Clemson with an incredible performance both offensively and defensively. The offense had a total of 644 yards with 309 coming from the running game. Leavitt played incredible after the interception as he threw for 230 passing yards and a touchdown along with 113 rushing yards and two touchdowns. Running back Dilin Jones had 113 yards and two touchdowns on 23 carries and wide receiver Winston Watkins Jr. had a great performance as he had 113 receiving yards on seven receptions and a touchdown. The defense limited Clemson to 145 yards and just eight first downs. This complete performance gives us a big reason to believe that they can be contenders in the SEC. 

9. Ole Miss

Ole Miss survived the test of Louisville in its season opener with a game-winning field goal. This win brought a lot of encouraging and worrying signs regarding this team as the season goes on.

The Rebels deserved to be in the No.9 spot as they were the only team this week to beat a ranked team. One of the positive signs from this win was the great performance from the offense that generated 488 yards with quarterback Trinidad Chambliss who threw for 336 passing yards and three touchdowns. Along with that, the talented players of wide receiver Deuce Alexander and running back Kewan Lacy did not miss a beat as Alexander had 159 receiving yards and two touchdowns and Lacy scored a touchdown on 71 rushing yards. However, the defense struggled as they let Louisville score 38 points and generated 469 yards, forcing Ole Miss to win a shootout. The defense will have to improve if it wants to be among contenders in the SEC but despite that, it was still an impressive win for the Rebels.

10. Oklahoma 

Oklahoma proved in their win against UTEP that they should be considered a top 10 team. 

Not only did this team shut out UTEP but they did it in a dominant fashion as they scored 51 points. After playing through injury last season, quarterback John Mateer looked healthy as he threw 225 passing yards and three touchdowns. There is a lot of talent on this offense as it combined for 401 yards as a unit with three different wide receivers scoring a touchdown and running back Lloyd Avant scoring one as well. The defense not only shut out UTEP but limited its opponent to less than 200 yards and forced two fumbles. Oklahoma has a lot of momentum heading into this week’s game against Michigan and have a chance to prove themselves a potential contender in the SEC if they can defeat the Wolverines on the road. 

11. Texas A&M 

Just like Oklahoma, Texas A&M shut out its opponent, Missouri State, in a dominant 50-0 win. However, they don’t deserve to be in the top 10. 

The Aggies got off to a slow start despite scoring a touchdown in their first possession. After their first possession, the offense failed to score as they punted in two possessions and fumbled in the next against an inferior defense. However, thanks to the defense, this did not come back to haunt them and even forced a safety. The defense limited Missouri State to four first downs and 67 yards, showing the potential this unit has. The offense ended up playing well despite the slow start as it generated 505 yards. Along with that, quarterback Marcel Reed threw for 233 passing yards and two touchdowns. This team has the potential to be a contender in the SEC, but it will have to show more to compete with Georgia, LSU and the conference’s other top teams. 

12. Alabama

After a lot of questions surrounding who would be the starting quarterback for Alabama, it showed in its season opener that Kalen DeBoer got it right with the decision of making Keelon Russell the starting quarterback.

The Crimson Tide looked very impressive in their season opening win against East Carolina as Russell showed his dual-threat ability by throwing for 256 passing yards along with 86 rushing yards on 13 carries and a rushing touchdown. The offense played well with Russell under center as it generated 487 yards. The defense played well too as it limited East Carolina to 10 points, 162 yards, two rushing yards, and zero third-down conversions. We will learn about this team this week as they start SEC play against Kentucky this week as they still have a lot of questions but for now, this team deserves to be among the 12 best teams in the country. 

13. Texas Tech 

While Texas Tech got the win over Abilene Christian, this team does not deserve to be the No.13 team in the rankings. 

The Red Raiders entered this season with a lot of questions after the drama surrounding Brandon Sorsby in the offseason. In their win over Abilene Christian, the team did not play well as they only scored 33 points against an inferior opponent. Quarterback Will Hammond played well as he threw for almost 300 yards but didn’t make much impact as he threw only one touchdown and an interception. The running game looked very impressive as it rushed for 173 yards and scored two touchdowns. The defense played well as it limited its opponent to 10 points and fewer than 200 yards but this should’ve been a much easier win for Texas Tech and it didn’t happen. They could be tested in their next game against Oregon State, which gave Houston a battle last week, if they don’t improve.

14. USC

After an unimpressive Week 0 win over San Jose State, USC responded with authority as it shut out Fresno State 39-0. 

The Trojans have played exceptionally well in the first two games of the season as quarterback Jayden Maiava has thrown 635 passing yards, five touchdowns, and zero interceptions. In the win against Fresno State, he only threw two incompletions on 25 passing attempts. The offense generated 552 yards and the defense only let up 116 yards to Fresno State. That’s a huge difference compared to their Week 0 win where the defense let up 336 yards and 26 points. However, the team now has three turnovers in two games, something that they will need to improve ahead of their final non-conference game against Louisiana before starting Big Ten play. But this team has a lot of potential to be a contender in the Big Ten.

15. BYU

BYU had a very dominant win in its season opener as it beat Utah Tech 63-7, showing that they should be among the favorites to win the Big 12. 

The Cougars put on an incredible performance as the offense scored 63 points and generated 521 yards with 308 coming on the ground. Quarterback Bear Bachmeier threw for 198 passing yards and three touchdowns with a completion percentage of 80%. Along with that, he rushed for 30 yards and scored a touchdown as the running game produced four different running backs scoring a touchdown. The defense produced four turnovers while limiting Utah Tech to seven points and 184 yards. They have a huge test coming up against Arizona this week but this performance shows that they are among the favorites to win the Big 12 conference. 

16. Penn State

The Matt Campbell era at Penn State couldn’t have gotten off to a better start than it did as the Nittany Lions shut out Marshall 45-0 in their season opener and they deserved to go up two spots in the rankings.

Not only did Penn State shut out its opponent but it was a complete performance on both sides of the ball. Quarterback Rocco Becht had an incredible debut with the Nittany Lions as he threw for 271 yards, four touchdowns, and had a QBR of 96.1. The running back attack combined for two touchdowns and wide receiver Koby Howard proved that he has the talent to be the No.1 wide receiver on this team as he had six receptions for 161 yards and a touchdown. The offense finished the game with almost 500 yards. The defense limited Marshall to 147 yards, only one third down conversion on 11 attempts, and two turnovers. There is a lot to like about this team as the season progresses and the Nittany Lions have every reason to believe that they can make this year’s College Football Playoff. 

17. SMU

SMU deserves a lot of credit for beating a tough Florida State on the road especially considering the power outage that occurred, delaying the game almost two hours.

The Mustangs were very explosive on offense as they generated 585 yards with quarterback Kevin Jennings leading the way with 430 passing yards and three touchdowns. However, this game shouldn’t have been closer as miscues and penalties almost cost them the win. They committed four turnovers and six penalties, one that allowed Florida State to keep its drive alive and go on to score a touchdown. SMU has a lot of firepower on offense to compete in the ACC but their maturity has to improve or it will cost them when they play against teams like Miami. 

18. Tennessee 

Tennessee entered the season with questions on who its starting quarterback was going to be. It decided to go with freshman Faison Brandon and he did not disappoint in Tennessee’s season opener win over Furman.

The Volunteers demolished Furman 56-9 and its offense was dominant from start to finish. They generated 638 yards and Brandon showed his dual ability as the freshman quarterback threw for 226 passing yards and three touchdowns. He also made his presence in the running game, rushing for 68 yards and two touchdowns. The defense looked great, limiting Furman to 221 yards. We won’t learn the potential this team has until SEC play begins for them in two weeks but right now, this team deserved to go up two spots after a dominant win. 

19. Washington

Washington did not impress in its season-opener win over Washington State and fully deserved to drop to No. 19. 

The Huskies struggled to generate offense as they only scored 10 points through the first three quarters of the game. This allowed Washington State to stay and would’ve been trailing if it wasn’t for two missed field goals. However, the defense impressed as they held Washington State to 10 points and forced three turnovers. Quarterback Demond Williams Jr. allowed Washington to survive the upset as he passed for 268 passing yards, a touchdown, and rushed for one. Despite the win, the Huskies need to make a lot of improvements especially with maturity as they committed 12 penalties for 130 yards. 

20. Utah

Utah played very well in its season opener against Idaho, showing that this team might be okay without their former head coach Kyle Whittingham. 

The Utes defeated Idaho 66-14 as the offense generated 664 yards. Quarterback Devon Dampier threw three passing touchdowns and running back Wayshawn Parker scored three touchdowns in a great offensive performance where they converted eight third downs in 12 attempts. The defense forced two turnovers, making this a complete team performance. Utah has a tough game against Arkansas this week but last week’s performance was indication that this team is ready to compete against stronger opponents. 

21. Iowa

Iowa had a very impressive win over Northern Illinois where it shut out its opponent. There was a lot to like about the Hawkeyes in this win.

The Hawkeyes’ offense played well as they scored 40 points and leaned on their running game, rushing for 289 yards and two touchdowns. Running back Kamari Moulton was the star of this offense as he rushed for 183 yards on 11 carries and two touchdowns. Along with that, Iowa played with a two-quarterback system as Hank Brown got the start for three possessions before Jeremy Hecklinski came in. Brown finished the game with 129 passing yards and a touchdown while Hecklinski threw 76 yards, a touchdown, and interception. The defense continued to impress but the offense still has a lot of questions to answer with the quarterback controversy still unresolved. 

22. Houston

Houston had to battle hard to beat Oregon State in its season opener. However, it showed the potential their offense has.

In their win over Oregon State, the Cougars generated 533 yards on offense with 305 coming in the air and the 228 on the ground. Three different rushers scored touchdowns in the running game and wide receiver Amare Thomas was the catalyst as he had eight receptions for 133 yards and a touchdown. Quarterback Conner Weigman made enough plays to lead his team to the win but there are things that the Cougars need to improve on as they had 10 penalties, two turnovers, and let Oregon State dominate them in the passing game as it had 376 of its 402 yards in the air. 

23. Missouri

Missouri played well in its season opener as it beat AP Pine-Bluff 54-14. The biggest contributor to this win was quarterback Austin Simmons.

Simmons had an incredible performance as he threw for 252 yards, four touchdowns, and only had two incompletions in 19 attempts. The offense finished the game with 562 yards and converted both their fourth down attempts. The only blemish they had was a sluggish second half but overall this was a great performance as the Tigers head into a tough showdown against Kansas. The defense will need to play up to the level they did in the first half against the Jayhawks where they shut out AP Pine-Bluff before letting 14 points in the second half. 

24. Louisville 

Despite losing to Ole Miss last week, Louisville rightfully deserves to stay ranked. 

The Cardinals went toe-to-toe against one of last season’s semifinalists in the College Football Playoff, as they scored 38 points and generated 469 yards offensively. Quarterback Lincoln Kienholz had 307 passing yards and two touchdowns and was the rushing leader as he rushed for 69 yards on 14 attempts, scoring a rushing touchdown too. Their defense let them down as they failed to generate a sack despite forcing two turnovers. In the end, Louisville has nothing to be ashamed about despite the loss and should be encouraged about their prospects this season with a showdown against SMU looming next week.

25. Virginia

The team replacing Michigan in the rankings was Virginia and the AP poll got it right to drop the Wolverines after a controversial win over Western Michigan. After narrowly missing being ranked in the AP Poll, Virginia deserved to be in the top 25 after a great performance against NC State in Week 0.

The Cavaliers limited NC State to eight points in their ACC opener as they only let 168 yards and forced two turnovers. Transfer quarterback Beau Pribula looked phenomenal in his debut as he threw for 155 yards and two touchdowns. Along with that, he made himself a threat in the running game as he’s always been as he rushed for 110 yards. The running game of Virginia was explosive as it had 258 yards and two touchdowns. There’s a lot to like about this Virginia team and we shouldn’t be surprised if they work their way up the rankings as the season progresses.