The latest Associated Press preseason Top 25 reveals a continuing rivalry between the Big Ten and the SEC. Ohio State and Oregon open the season at No. 1 and No. 2, respectively, ahead of defending national champion Indiana, which lands at No. 6.
Big Ten Strength and First‑Place Votes
The Big Ten secured 62 of the 69 first‑place votes in the poll—Ohio State received 40, Oregon 14, and Indiana eight. No SEC team earned a first‑place vote, a rarity not seen since 2015 when Ohio State was the unanimous No. 1.
Big Ten Commissioner Tony Petitti noted the fan interest in a potential rivalry with the SEC, saying, “Our fans, and I think the SEC fans, they really like the rivalry. It would be great if we played each other more.”
SEC Depth and Rankings
The SEC placed five of its teams in the top 10 and seven of its teams in the top 13, giving the conference nine ranked programs overall—one more than the Big Ten’s eight. Since 2024, the SEC has sent seven different teams to the College Football Playoff, compared with four from the Big Ten.
SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey emphasized the conference’s breadth, stating, “From a big picture, the depth of this league stands alone. Metrics from the College Football Playoff presentation show we are the strongest league.”
Key Early‑Season Matchups
The first marquee games arrive on Sept. 12. No. 10 Oklahoma travels to No. 16 Michigan, while top‑ranked Ohio State visits No. 5 Texas. Both contests are rematches of last year’s home‑team victories—Oklahoma won 24‑13 and Ohio State prevailed 14‑7.
Last season, the Big Ten posted a 4‑3 record against the SEC, highlighted by Indiana’s 38‑3 triumph over Alabama in a CFP quarterfinal at the Rose Bowl. However, ESPN’s final 2025 SP+ efficiency rankings placed seven Big Ten programs below No. 67 Kentucky, the SEC’s lowest‑ranked team.
Coaching Changes and Outlook
Four Top 25 programs enter the season with new head coaches. Pete Golding begins his first full season at No. 9 Mississippi State after guiding the Rebels to the CFP semifinals in 2025. LSU’s No. 11, under first‑year coach Lane Kiffin, seeks a quick turnaround after a series of losing seasons.
Clemson, unranked for the first time since 2011, hopes to rebound from a 7‑6 campaign. The Tigers sit just five points behind No. 25 Missouri in voting points. Offensive coordinator Chad Morris returns, and defensive coordinator Tom Allen enters his second year.
Other Notable Rankings
Ohio State maintains a 38‑year streak of preseason appearances, the longest active run. Notre Dame climbs to No. 4, its highest preseason ranking since 2006. Boise State, now a Pac‑12 member, led the Group of Six teams outside the Top 25 with a vote.
Seven teams from the previous season’s final AP poll—Vanderbilt, Virginia, Tulane, James Madison, Navy, North Texas, and TCU—did not appear in this preseason ranking, marking the 15th such occurrence since the poll’s inception in 1950.
Looking Ahead
Fans can follow the full poll, set alerts for updates, and track weekly rankings as the college football season unfolds.
Original reporting: Alexandria, VA News – WTOP News — read the source article.
