Coaches Top 25 Poll Week 2 Prediction: 2026 College Football Rankings

There’s no Coaches Poll after Week 0, so what will the Coaches Poll Top 25 be after the first big weekend of games? Here’s our call on what the rankings will be (and we’ll change on Monday night – the next Coaches Poll will be released on Tuesday, September 8).

Projected 2026 Coaches Poll Top 25 Rankings After Week 0

Along with projecting all the seemingly obvious Week 1 games, this looks ahead, predicting what might happen with LSU facing Clemson, Louisville dealing with Ole Miss, and SMU going to Florida State.

Top 5 Predicted Others Receiving Votes: Virginia, Arizona, South Carolina, Vanderbilt, Auburn

25. Illinois

Preseason AP Ranking: (29) 
Week 1 Opponent: UAB 
Predicted Record After Week 1: 1-0

24. Florida

Preseason AP Ranking: (27) 
Week 1 Opponent: Florida Atlantic 
Predicted Record After Week 1: 1-0

23. Missouri

Current Coaches Poll Ranking: 25 
Week 1 Opponent: Arkansas-Pine Bluff 
Predicted Record After Week 1: 0-1

22. Houston

Current Coaches Poll Ranking: 24 
Week 1 Opponent: Oregon State 
Predicted Record After Week 1: 1-0

21. Iowa

Current Coaches Poll Ranking: 22 
Week 1 Opponent: Northern Illinois 
Predicted Record After Week 1: 1-0

20. Utah

Current Coaches Poll Ranking: 21 
Week 1 Opponent: Idaho 
Predicted Record After Week 1: 0-1

19. Washington

Current Coaches Poll Ranking: 19 
Week 1 Opponent: Washington State 
Predicted Record After Week 1: 1-0

18. Tennessee

Current Coaches Poll Ranking: 18 
Week 1 Opponent: Furman 
Predicted Record After Week 1: 1-0

17. Penn State

Current Coaches Poll Ranking: 17 
Week 1 Opponent: Marshall 
Predicted Record After Week 1: 1-0

16. Michigan

Current Coaches Poll Ranking: 16 
Week 1 Opponent: Western Michigan 
Predicted Record After Week 1: 1-0

15. BYU

Current Coaches Poll Ranking: 15 
Week 1 Opponent: Utah Tech 
Predicted Record After Week 1: 1-0

14. USC

Current Coaches Poll Ranking: 14 
Week 1 Opponent: Fresno State 
Predicted Record After Week 1: 2-0

13. Texas Tech

Current Coaches Poll Ranking: 12 
Week 1 Opponent: Abilene Christian 
Predicted Record After Week 1: 1-0

12. LSU

Current Coaches Poll Ranking: 13 
Week 1 Opponent: Clemson 
Predicted Record After Week 1: 1-0

11. Alabama

Current Coaches Poll Ranking: 11 
Week 1 Opponent: East Carolina 
Predicted Record After Week 1: 1-0

Ole Miss running back Kewan Lacy (5) celebrates after scoring a touchdown during a college football game between Ole Miss and LSU at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium in Oxford, Miss., on Saturday, Sept. 27, 2025. Ole Miss defeated LSU 24-19. Ayrton Breckenridge/Clarion Ledger / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

© Ayrton Breckenridge/Clarion Ledger / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

10. Ole Miss

Current Coaches Poll Ranking: 10 
Week 1 Opponent: Louisville 
Predicted Record After Week 1: 1-0

9. Oklahoma

Current Coaches Poll Ranking: 9 
Week 1 Opponent: UTEP 
Predicted Record After Week 1: 1-0

8. Texas A&M

Current Coaches Poll Ranking: 8 
Week 1 Opponent: Missouri State 
Predicted Record After Week 1: 1-0

7. Miami

Current Coaches Poll Ranking: 7 
Week 1 Opponent: at Stanford 
Predicted Record After Week 1: 1-0

6. Indiana

Current Coaches Poll Ranking: 6 
Week 1 Opponent: North Texas 
Predicted Record After Week 1: 1-0

5. Notre Dame

Current Coaches Poll Ranking: 5 
Week 1 Opponent: Wisconsin 
Predicted Record After Week 1: 1-0

4. Texas

Current Coaches Poll Ranking: 4 
Week 1 Opponent: Texas State 
Predicted Record After Week 1: 1-0

3. Georgia

Current Coaches Poll Ranking: 3 
Week 1 Opponent: Tennessee State 
Predicted Record After Week 1: 1-0

2. Oregon

Current Coaches Poll Ranking: 2 
Week 1 Opponent: Boise State 
Predicted Record After Week 1: 1-0

1. Ohio State

Current Coaches Poll Ranking: 1 
Week 1 Opponent: Ball State 
Predicted Record After Week 1: 1-0