Way-too-early 2026 College Football Top 25: Where Does National Champion Indiana Land?

The 2025 assemblage shot play has travel to a adjacent arsenic nan Indiana Hoosiers made 1 of nan astir improbable runs ever to beryllium crowned nationalist champions connected Monday nighttime successful Miami. While 1 of nan wildest and astir entertaining campaigns successful caller representation has ended, that besides intends it’s clip to peek up astatine nan coming season. Here are Sports Illustrated’s way-too-early Top 25 rankings for 2026—which is taxable to revision arsenic we move done nan offseason.

1. Ohio State

The Buckeyes suffer a number of cardinal players disconnected of nan champion scoring defense successful nan state (Caleb Downs, Arvell Reese) but restocked done nan portal and person nan champion halfway group of violative players backmost for different play successful QB Julian Sayin, RB Bo Jackson and, of course, wideout Jeremiah Smith. Ohio State travels to Texas successful Week 2 to spell on pinch tricky trips to Indiana, Iowa and USC, but big Michigan and Oregon astatine nan Horseshoe. Given that nan Buckeyes are riding a two-game losing streak, Ryan Day’s squad figures to beryllium good motivated for different College Football Playoff tally pinch nan extremity end of reaching fabulous Las Vegas. 

2. Notre Dame

There should beryllium nary excuse for nan Fighting Irish to miss retired connected nan CFP successful 2026. Jeremiyah Love is gone, but overmuch of nan discourtesy remains intact and should beryllium to beryllium sharper early connected pinch different play of acquisition nether CJ Carr’s belt. If healthy, nan defense should beryllium apical notch again and nan schedule sets up nicely pinch Miami, SMU (both astatine home) and BYU (in Provo, Utah) arsenic nan only classed opponents connected nan docket.  

3. Georgia

Kirby Smart has not recovered nan CFP occurrence his instrumentality guidelines expects nan past fewer years, but nan bulk of nan back-to-back SEC title teams return to Athens, Ga., successful 2026 and will beryllium aiming to alteration those postseason fortunes. Gunner Stockton and Nate Frazier return to substance an discourtesy that opened it up a spot much past year, but it’s nan defense that could really make a immense leap fixed nan number of sophomores and freshmen that coiled up starting. Don’t discount nan schedule either, which misses Texas, gets Florida successful Atlanta and has Oklahoma betwixt nan hedges. 

4. Texas

O.K., this twelvemonth is nan twelvemonth to judge nan hype astir nan Longhorns and Arch Manning. They added effect players for illustration WR Cam Coleman, RBs Raleek Brown and Hollywood Smothers positive did a small revamping of that violative line. They person to spell to LSU and Texas A&M successful November, but nan schedule is different manageable if they tin get past Ohio State successful Austin.

5. Indiana

After back-to-back CFP trips, location is nary request to Google Curt Cignetti’s squad but it is clip to commencement believing successful nan Hoosiers arsenic a regular contender pinch their first nationalist title nether their belt. They netted 1 of nan champion portal classes successful getting QB Josh Hoover to switch Heisman victor Fernando Mendoza and fortified on nan violative (OL Joe Brunner) and protect lines (Tobi Osunsanmi) to backfill departing starters. Crucially, nan squad besides brings backmost some coordinators and hosts Ohio State and USC.

6. Oregon

Dante Moore’s return paves nan measurement for different twelvemonth of contention successful Eugene—especially if his increasing database of walk catchers tin stay patient and Dakorien Moore keeps progressing astatine receiver. The defense should beryllium nasty pinch astir of nan dense hitters (Matayo Uiagalelei, Bear Alexander) backmost and they’ve been strategical successful nan portal successful landing Koi Perich, too. They person to spell to Ohio State but person constricted trips eastbound successful convention play while hosting nan likes of Michigan astatine Autzen Stadium. Dan Lanning’s squad has progressed each play nether his watch and this 1 is shaping up to beryllium a existent threat to make it to Las Vegas.

7. Miami

It took until heavy into nan portal model but it seems Miami recovered a bully replacement for Carson Beck successful ex-Duke prima Darian Mensah. That importantly raises nan level for nan Hurricanes pinch a schedule that features trips to Notre Dame and Clemson but not overmuch other successful position of imaginable classed opponents. Throw successful different twelvemonth of seasoning for Malachi Toney and Mario Cristobal’s squad should erstwhile again beryllium nan apical CFP threat retired of nan ACC moreover pinch a ton of protect departures. 

8. Texas Tech

The Red Raiders accomplished a awesome milestone successful securing their first Big 12 title, but nan measurement they went retired successful nan Orange Bowl to Oregon is bound to time off a bad taste. That fueled nan pursuit of QB Brendan Sorsby and a big of different portal additions to a squad that outspends astir of nan convention by a decent magnitude anyway. The schedule will person them contending to get backmost to AT&T Stadium pinch ease, but nan sights are aimed overmuch higher successful West Texas.

9. BYU

Kalani Sitake’s squad has travel adjacent to nan CFP 2 years successful a row. Can they break done nan apical 12 pinch a group of veterans successful 2026? QB Bear Bachmeier has a chance to importantly amended arsenic a passer going into his sophomore season, and nan return of tailback LJ Martin is simply a immense boost to nan continuity of a group that loses only a fistful of starters. The schedule sees Arizona State and Notre Dame travel to Utah and could constituent them backmost toward different Big 12 title crippled appearance.

10. LSU

Lane Kiffin will soak up nan spotlight for nan 2026 season, and location will beryllium nary shortage of group willing successful really good nan Tigers do. QB Sam Leavitt is simply a monolithic summation retired of nan portal, but it doesn’t look for illustration anybody will cognize conscionable what nan ceiling is for this group until kickoff successful Death Valley against Clemson. 

11. Michigan

It’s a caller era for Big Blue arsenic Kyle Whittingham, 1 of nan astir respected and accomplished coaches around, takes complete successful Ann Arbor. There shouldn’t beryllium overmuch of a modulation from nan marque of shot he wants to tally but nan pairing of sophomore QB Bryce Underwood pinch a caller coordinator who did wonders astatine Utah past play should beryllium encouraging fixed nan schedule features conscionable 4 roadworthy games. 

12. Texas A&M

A historical 2025 play successful College Station ended pinch a thud, but nan Aggies are primed to support things rolling pinch galore cardinal contributors backmost successful nan fold. The ceiling for this group will astir apt beryllium wished by really accordant QB Marcel Reed tin go but there’s an highly precocious ceiling fixed really bully Mike Elko’s defense should be. 

13. USC

It’s a make-or-break twelvemonth for Lincoln Riley arsenic nan operation of disappointing results nan past fewer years person fixed measurement to nan No. 1 recruiting people and a bevy of raised expectations. QB Jayden Maiava is among a big of returning starters backmost for nan cardinal and gold, which must navigate tricky trips to Indiana and Penn State but has Ohio State and Oregon coming to nan Coliseum. 

14. SMU

Kevin Jennings is backmost for his 3rd play arsenic a starter successful Dallas and should person a number of cardinal accomplishment position transfers to trust connected successful 2026 for a programme that’s 14–2 successful convention play since joining nan ACC. The Mustangs’ schedule is among nan astir manageable successful nan country, pinch Rhett Lashlee’s squad looking for illustration an early favourite successful each crippled beyond a travel to South Bend to return connected Notre Dame.

15. Alabama

There are nary excuses near for Kalen DeBoer arsenic he’s assembled 1 of nan astir talented rosters successful nan SEC and is coming disconnected CFP and SEC title crippled trips past season. Talented redshirt freshman Keelon Russell is expected to return complete astatine quarterback, but nan cardinal mobility mightiness beryllium if nan discourtesy tin much efficaciously tally nan shot aft 1 of nan worst seasons connected nan crushed successful schoolhouse history. 

16. Iowa

The dean of assemblage shot coaches, Kirk Ferentz, is arsenic invigorated arsenic ever and whitethorn person 1 of his champion teams coming into a play successful immoderate time—especially if QB Mark Gronowski tin genuinely return a meaningful measurement guardant arsenic a passer. The Hawkeyes get Ohio State to travel to Kinnick Stadium and must navigate trips to Michigan and Washington successful Big Ten play but a first CFP crippled could beryllium successful nan cards pinch this seasoned group. 

17. Utah

It’s a caller era successful Salt Lake City arsenic nan Utes’ stalwart coach has been replaced by protect coordinator Morgan Scalley. Not overmuch should alteration from really nan Utes person done things recently, moreover pinch a revamped coaching unit successful spot and respective cardinal departures to nan portal (DL John Henry Daley) aliases draught (OL Spencer Fano). QB Devon Dampier is backmost disconnected of starring a 10-win run and could return advantage of having BYU and Houston coming to Rice-Eccles Stadium.

18. Mississippi

Pete Golding owns a 2–1 grounds arsenic a caput coach, but his first afloat play successful Oxford, Miss., remains 1 of nan biggest storylines for 2026 earlier moreover factoring successful nan position of QB Trinidad Chambliss. The Rebels big Kiffin and nan Tigers successful September and look your emblematic sadistic SEC slate, but if they tin scope double-digit wins again, a 2nd CFP travel should beryllium successful nan cards. 

19. Oklahoma

John Mateer and nan bulk of nan discourtesy returns to Norman, Okla., aft a breakthrough run nether Brent Venables but nan sour sensation of blowing that first-round crippled to Alabama (on apical of a nonaccomplishment successful nan Red River Rivalry series) will apt substance nan Sooners into 2026. Trips to Michigan, Georgia and Florida will beryllium tough, but there’s a way to returning to nan playoff fixed what returns connected some sides of nan ball.

20. Florida

Jon Sumrall whitethorn not return agelong to triumph complete Gators fans fixed his way grounds of making convention title games arsenic a caput coach, but he’ll surely person to gain it successful Year 1 successful Gainesville, pinch Texas, Georgia, Oklahoma and Vanderbilt connected nan docket successful summation to nan rivalry crippled astatine Florida State. There are mobility marks astatine quarterback, but 2 fantabulous caller coordinators should beryllium capable to thief nan Gators return a measurement guardant pinch nan likes of RB Jadan Baugh, WR Dallas Wilson and CB Cormani McClain backmost successful nan fold. 

21. Virginia Tech

James Franklin has wasted nary clip successful making nan Hokies applicable for 2026 pinch an influx successful talent, affirmative vibes and plentifulness of coaches utilized to winning games. The schedule features a fewer tricky ACC tests (including astatine Miami and SMU), but their caller coach tin quickly raise nan level successful Blacksburg. 

22. Penn State

Franklin’s aged squad has imported rather a spot from Iowa State complete nan offseason, from their caput coach Matt Campbell, nan Cyclones backmost successful Rocco Becht and overmuch of their roster. That should thief make for an absorbing 2026 play pinch a schedule that gets nan likes of USC astatine location and is different reasonably manageable by Big Ten standards. 

23. Boise State

The Broncos ended their Mountain West tenure pinch a convention title and dream to do nan aforesaid pinch their first foray into nan new-look Pac-12. QB Maddux Madsen is among those backmost for different play successful which they should beryllium erstwhile again contending to make nan CFP arsenic nan apical Group of 6 team. 

24. Washington

The Demond Williams Jr. saga apt overshadowed nan Huskies’ offseason, but they’ve done good successful nan portal to reenforce nan roster for Year 3 nether Jedd Fisch. Husky Stadium remains 1 of nan astir difficult places to play successful nan state and they big Iowa, Indiana and Penn State while making only 2 trips to nan Eastern clip area successful 2026. 

25. Memphis

The American Conference was raided for galore of its champion coaches and top-tier talent but don’t discount what caller coach Charles Huff tin do pinch a revamped Tigers squad that includes plentifulness of players tin of having a large year. They person a bully changeable astatine being a CFP contender for nan Group of 6 bid fixed roadworthy trips to UNLV and Boise State connected apical of going to Navy, USF and Tulane successful convention play. 

Sports Illustrated writer Pat Forde contributed to these rankings.

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