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.
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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.