Ohio State will start the 2026 college football season in the No.1 spot on the preseason US LBM Coaches Poll. But if history is any guide, No. 2 Oregon is better positioned to finish at the top of the rankings when the College Football Playoff wraps up in January.
Since USA TODAY Sports took over administering the Coaches Poll for the 1991season, nine teams that began the year ranked second have gone on to win the national championship. Only four preseason No. 1 teams have done the same.
Last season also showed how quickly expectations can change. Indiana opened at No. 19 in the preseason and slowly climbed all the way to No. 1 before winning the national championship behind quarterback Fernando Mendoza. Only two other teams have made a similar
run in the poll's history: Auburn from No. 23 in 2010 and Oklahoma from No. 20 in 2000.
Meanwhile, preseason No. 1 Texas missed the playoff along with Penn State and Clemson, two other teams in the top five.
Alabama's was the last to begin and end the season at No. 1
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Winning a national championship isn't determined by a preseason poll. But since the College Football Playoff era began in 2014, every champion before 2025 had started the season ranked among the top six teams That changed last season with Indiana. This year, the Hoosiers check in at No. 6, which sort of seems fitting given our history. Here's a look at the preseason top six:
The path to No. 1 was a wild ride in 2025 season
In the poll's last 35 seasons, the team ranked second in the preseason have ended the season at No. 1 10 times. Below is where the post-season No. 1 teams started the season.
How many college football preseason No. 1s have finished No. 1?
This year's No. 1 ranking for Ohio State was preceded last year by Texas' No. 1 ranking. The Longhorns finished at No. 12. Georgia who was placed at No.1 for back-to-back seasons in 2024-25 and 2023-24, they could not maintain the top spot.
Since USA TODAY began administering the poll in the 1991 season, the coaches' preseason No. 1s have become postseason No. 1s just four times – just over 11% of the time. Only twice have teams held the No. 1 position throughout: Florida State in 1999 and Southern California in 2004.
Contributing: Jim Sergent
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Ohio State leads preseason college football poll. History against Buckeyes finishing there
