Rankings from the preseason AP Top 25. Week 1 runs September 3-7, 2026. All times Eastern.
Every ranked team plays this week. Only one game pits two of them against each other, which is normal for an opening weekend built around tune-ups.
| Rk | Team | Week 1 game | Time · TV |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ohio State | vs Ball State | Sat 12:30 · BTN |
| 2 | Oregon | vs Boise State | Sat 3:30 · CBS |
| 3 | Georgia | vs Tennessee State | Sat 3:00 · SECN+ |
| 4 | Notre Dame | vs Wisconsin (Lambeau) | Sun 7:30 · NBC |
| 5 | Texas | vs Texas State | Sat 3:30 · ESPN |
| 6 | Indiana | vs North Texas | Sat 12:00 · FOX |
| 7 | Miami | at Stanford | Fri 9:00 · ESPN |
| 8 | Texas A&M | vs Missouri State | Sat 7:00 · ESPN |
| 9 | Ole Miss | vs Louisville (Nashville) | Sun 7:30 · ABC |
| 10 | Oklahoma | vs UTEP | Fri 8:00 · SECN+ |
| 11 | LSU | vs Clemson | Sat 7:30 · ABC |
| 12 | Texas Tech | vs Abilene Christian | Sat 7:00 · FS1 |
| 13 | Alabama | vs East Carolina | Sat 12:00 · ABC |
| T14 | BYU | vs Utah Tech | Sat 8:00 · ESPN+ |
| T14 | USC | vs Fresno State | Fri 9:00 · FOX |
| 16 | Michigan | vs Western Michigan | Sat 7:30 · NBC |
| 17 | Washington | vs Washington State | Sun 4:00 · NBC |
| 18 | Penn State | vs Marshall | Sat 3:30 · FS1 |
| 19 | SMU | at Florida State | Mon 7:30 · ESPN |
| 20 | Tennessee | vs Furman | Sat 3:30 · SECN+ |
| 21 | Utah | vs Idaho | Thu 9:00 · ESPNU |
| 22 | Iowa | vs Northern Illinois | Sat 4:15 · BTN |
| 23 | Houston | vs Oregon State | Sat 12:00 · ESPN |
| 24 | Louisville | vs Ole Miss (Nashville) | Sun 7:30 · ABC |
| 25 | Missouri | vs Arkansas-Pine Bluff | Thu 8:00 · SEC Network |
Only One Ranked Matchup
Ole Miss at No. 9 and Louisville at No. 24 meet in Nashville on Sunday night — the only game this week between two ranked teams. Everything else is a ranked side against an unranked one.
That is standard for opening weekend. Programs schedule tune-ups they can control, and the marquee non-conference games get spread across September.
Four Ranked Teams Are Streaming-Only
Georgia, Oklahoma, Tennessee and BYU all open on services with no television broadcast. Three of those — Georgia, Oklahoma and Tennessee — are on SEC Network+, which cannot be bought separately and requires a provider that already carries SEC Network.
BYU is on ESPN+, which anyone can subscribe to directly. Our TV schedule by channel covers the distinction.
The Poll Itself
Ohio State opened at No. 1 with 40 of 62 first-place votes, and BYU and USC are tied at No. 14 — so there is no No. 15 this year. Clemson is the highest-ranked team outside the poll and missed the preseason Top 25 for the first time since 2011.
Full detail and points totals are on our AP Top 25 page.
The Bottom Line
All 25 ranked teams play in Week 1. Ole Miss vs. Louisville on Sunday is the only ranked-versus-ranked matchup. Four ranked teams open on streaming-only platforms, and LSU at No. 11 has the toughest assignment, hosting Clemson on Saturday night.