NCAA Football Preseason Top 25 Rankings Reaction: Is the LSU Hype Real?
Written by: Nate Hornung
Published: Mon Aug 17, 2026, 2:42 pm ET
Read Time: 5 minutes
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After we got the first NCAA Football Coaches Poll a few weeks ago, we were all anxiously awaiting the AP Top 25 for the preseason. Well low and behold, that day is finally here, and the top 25 is out. We are going to look at the top 25, the betting odds for these teams to win the National Championship, and see how I did in predicting the Top 10 with my piece from the end of July.
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NCAA Football AP Top 25 Preseason Poll
Julian Sayin and Ohio State are the No. 1 overall team in the preseason AP Top 25 Poll
- #1 Ohio State (40)
- #2 Oregon (14)
- #3 Georgia
- #4 Notre Dame (6)
- #5 Texas
- #6 Indiana (8)
- #7 Miami (1)
- #8 Texas A&M
- #9 Ole Miss
- #10 Oklahoma
- #11 LSU
- #12 Texas Tech
- #13 Alabama
- #14 USC
- #15 BYU
- #16 Michigan
- #17 Washington
- #18 Penn State
- #19 SMU
- #20 Tennessee
- #21 Utah
- #22 Iowa
- #23 Houston
- #24 Louisville
- #25 Missouri
There were plenty of other teams that received votes, including Virginia, Liberty, Tulane and Western Michigan all with one. Memphis and California both received two votes as well. However, the teams who narrowly missed out on the Top 25 are listed alongside the number of voting points they received. For reference, Missouri earned 117 points.
- Clemson, 112
- Florida, 51
- Boise State, 43
- Arizona, 32
- TCU, 11
What's interesting to me, is that Georgia and Texas, the top two teams in the SEC, failed to receive even a single first place vote. Even Miami got one, Notre Dame, six, and the reigning national champions Hoosiers earned eight as well. While I don't necessarily disagree, it is surprising.
Now, not to toot my own horn, but I nailed the top 10 teams back in July, although the only one we correctly placed was the Buckeyes at the top spot.
Marcel Reed and the Aggies are probably in for a major step back this season
NCAA Football Top 25 Rankings – What's Right, What's Wrong?
If you asked me to pick one team in the top 12 who would miss out on the college football playoff this year, it would easily be the Texas A&M Aggies. The hype is real after winning 11 games last season, but the schedule is tougher, Marcel Reed does not have his offensive coordinator, and I see them taking a major step back, missing the CFP, and going under their 8.5 win total.
I also clearly notice how high they placed LSU, despite the Tigers not proving anything on the field quite yet. Expectations couldn't be bigger in Baton Rouge. Will Lane Kiffin and company live up to the hype? Tigers' fans probably view anything less than a trip to CFP as a failed season.
The SEC snuck nine teams into the top 25, seven of them into the top 13. The Big Ten has eight representatives, three in the top six and seven in the top 18. The Big 12 fields four teams with Houston and Utah sneaking in alongside Texas Tech and BYU, while the ACC has three teams: Miami in the top seven, with SMU and Louisville finding room in the final six spots. And of course, the independent Notre Dame Fighting Irish round out the top 25 teams in the country… for now.
Dante Moore and Oregon would be my pick to win the National Championship this season
Odds to Win the National Championship
- Ohio State +550
- Oregon +650
- Notre Dame +650
- Texas +700
- Georgia +850
- Indiana +900
- Miami +1000
- LSU +1600
- Alabama +2200
- Ole Miss +2200
- Texas A&M +2200
- Texas Tech +2200
- Oklahoma +2500
Personally, I wouldn't look any further down the list. In theory, two of these teams listed are guaranteed to miss the CFP, as 13 teams are listed here, and the G6 will get at least one team in the Field of 12.
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Nate has been a recreational sports bettor for about 5 years. In that time, he has grown to love the pursuit of winners and sticking it to The Man. Nate loves data and uses his understanding of numbers to help him be a more profitable sports gambler, however he will be the first to tell you this game is about more than just stats.
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