Week 1 of the 2026 college football season is upon us, with teams across the country getting ready to begin their push toward conference championships and the College Football Playoff.
The opening week gives us our first real look at contenders, breakout teams, and programs that could rise or fall quickly once the games begin.
With a full season ahead, let’s dive into my first college football power rankings of 2026 and break down the top 25 teams in the nation.
All college football odds referenced in these NCAAF power rankings are current as of Week 1 and courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook.
College Football Power Rankings
- Ohio State
- Oregon
- Georgia
- Notre Dame
- Texas
- Indiana
- Miami
- LSU
- Texas A&M
- Ole Miss
- Oklahoma
- Alabama
- Texas Tech
- BYU
- USC
- Penn State
- Washington
- Michigan
- Tennessee
- Utah
- Iowa
- SMU
- Houston
- Louisville
- Missouri
College Football Teams to Watch
1. Ohio State
Ohio State opened its title defense with a dominant 56-3 win over Ball State, with Julian Sayin throwing for 320 yards and three touchdowns. Jeremiah Smith added 151 receiving yards and two scores, strengthening his case among the early favorites in the Heisman Trophy odds. The Buckeyes remain the team to beat heading into a huge matchup with Texas.
2. Oregon
Oregon needed a fourth-quarter push to get past Boise State 34-27, but Dante Moore still delivered 378 passing yards and three touchdowns. The Ducks didn’t look as dominant as expected, but one uneven opener isn’t enough to knock them far down the rankings given their talent and place among the top contenders in the National Championship odds.
3. Georgia
Georgia had no trouble in its opener, cruising past Tennessee State 63-3. Gunner Stockton threw three touchdown passes, while Nate Frazier ran for three scores as the Bulldogs piled up 660 yards of offense. Georgia remains firmly in the national championship picture after one of the most dominant performances of Week 1.
4. Notre Dame
Notre Dame hasn’t played yet, with its season opener against Wisconsin set for Sunday night at Lambeau Field. The Fighting Irish enter the year with legitimate College Football Playoff expectations and should give bettors one of the more interesting matchups to consider when looking for an NCAAF pick of the day.
5. Texas
Texas looked sharp in a 59-7 win over Texas State, with Arch Manning throwing for 305 yards and four touchdowns. The competition gets much tougher next week when the Longhorns face No. 1 Ohio State, a matchup that should tell us much more about where Texas belongs among the country’s elite.
How We Create NCAA Football Power Rankings
There will be some constants between power rankings, but ultimately, no two lists are the same. I like to focus primarily on the data, but you can’t avoid inserting opinion, either.
It’s never just about wins and losses or how a team looks.
Not All Wins Are Created Equally
A victory in the MAC doesn’t equate to a win in the SEC, which is why metrics like strength of schedule are so important.
That doesn’t mean we should always sleep on programs outside of the Power 5 conferences, but it’s why you’ll sometimes see a one- or two-loss team ranked ahead of an undefeated one.
Don’t Get Caught Up In The Hype
Anything can happen in college football. Upsets and improbable moments are a huge part of what makes the sport so beautiful. However, it’s important to remain level-headed when evaluating how much a team should rise — or fall — based on one or two results.
It’s rare to see drastic movement in the most reputable college football polls, and I stick to a similar set of principles. A big win or loss will undoubtedly affect your standing, but it takes consistency to truly find out what a team is made of.
Power, Not Record
Let’s say a top-10 team sees its star quarterback suffer a season-ending injury. It may still go on to win the game and thus improve its standing in the polls, but you can’t deny that the team likely doesn’t have as high a ceiling as it did before.
Situations like these factor into my decisions. Rankings must be based on the bulk of a team’s work, but they should also be indicative of what’s to come.
