Ohio State opens the 2026 season as the nation's top-ranked team in the AP preseason poll, followed by fellow Big Ten member Oregon at No. 2. The SEC dominates the top 10 with five teams, led by No. 3 Georgia and No. 5 Texas. Lane Kiffin's LSU squad sits at No. 11, while Texas Tech represents the Big 12 at No. 12.

The Buckeyes enter the year favored in 31 consecutive games, the longest active streak in FBS. Oregon's Dan Lanning holds a 48-8 record over four seasons, tied for third-best among active coaches. Georgia looks to extend its eight-game winning streak over Georgia Tech in the regular season finale.

Notre Dame's CJ Carr aims to become the first Irish quarterback to start consecutive season openers since 2019-20. Texas averaged just 388.5 yards per game last season, marking their lowest output since Steve Sarkisian arrived in 2021. Indiana remains undefeated from 2025 and faces four teams that finished ranked in the final AP poll.

Miami travels over 2,500 miles for their season opener at Stanford, just the second time in 10 years they've opened with a true road game. The rankings will shift quickly with Ohio State visiting Texas in Week 2.