There weren't many changes in the poll after a week of games. The only ranked team to lose in Week 1 was Louisville, which dropped a tight game against then-No. 9 Ole Miss. Michigan, after snatching a last-second win against unranked Western Michigan, dropped from its No. 16 spot out of the poll entirely and was replaced by Virginia, which opened its season by blowing out NC State. There will surely be more action in Week 2, which will be headlined by Saturday's Ohio State-Texas game.
Stats courtesy of ESPN Research.
All times ET.
1. Ohio State Buckeyes
Previous ranking: 1
2026 record: 1-0
Week 1 result: Defeated Ball State 56-3
Stat to know: Ohio State's 53-point win over Ball State is its largest margin of victory in a season opener under Ryan Day and its largest in any opener since 2016.
What's next: Saturday at Texas, 7:30 p.m., ABC
2. Georgia Bulldogs
Previous ranking: 3
2026 record: 1-0
Week 1 result: Defeated Tennessee State 63-3
Stat to know: Georgia's 63 points were its most in a season opener since 1941.
What's next: Saturday vs. Western Kentucky, 12:45 p.m., SEC Network
3. Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Previous ranking: 4
2026 record: 1-0
Week 1 result: Defeated Wisconsin 41-13
Stat to know: Notre Dame was the fifth program to open this season with a 20-point win over a power-conference opponent.
What's next: Saturday vs. Rice, 3:30 p.m., NBC
4. Texas Longhorns
Previous ranking: 5
2026 record: 1-0
Week 1 result: Defeated Texas State 59-7
Stat to know: The team's 52-point win ties its largest margin of victory in six season openers under Steve Sarkisian.
What's next: Saturday vs. Ohio State, 7:30 p.m., ABC
5. Indiana Hoosiers
Previous ranking: 6
2026 record: 1-0
Week 1 result: Defeated North Texas 52-16
Stat to know: Indiana is on a 17-game winning streak. That's the longest streak by any Big Ten team since Ohio State's 19 straight wins from 2018-19.
What's next: Saturday vs. Howard, noon, Big Ten Network
6. Oregon Ducks
Previous ranking: 2
2026 record: 1-0
Week 1 result: Defeated Boise State 34-27
Stat to know: Oregon is now 2-3 all time against Boise State.
What's next: Saturday at Oklahoma State, noon, ESPN
7. Miami Hurricanes
Previous ranking: 7
2026 record: 1-0
Week 1 result: Defeated Stanford 45-6
Stat to know: Malachi Toney's 234 receiving yards in the opener set a school record.
What's next: Thursday vs. Florida A&M, 8 p.m., ACC Network
8. LSU Tigers
Previous ranking: 11
2026 record: 1-0
Week 1 result: Defeated Clemson 51-10
Stat to know: Against Clemson, LSU set a program record for most first downs in a game with 38.
What's next: Saturday vs. Louisiana Tech, 7:30 p.m., SEC Network+
9. Ole Miss Rebels
Previous ranking: 9
2026 record: 1-0
Week 1 result: Defeated Louisville 41-38
Stat to know: Ole Miss' victory over Louisville was the 700th win in program history.
What's next: Saturday vs. Charlotte, 7:45 p.m., ESPN2
10. Texas A&M Aggies
Previous ranking: 8
2026 record: 1-0
Week 1 result: Defeated Missouri State 50-0
Stat to know: The Aggies' win over Missouri State was their largest shutout win over an FBS opponent since 1997.
What's next: Saturday vs. Arizona State, noon, ABC
11. Oklahoma Sooners
Previous ranking: 10
2026 record: 1-0
Week 1 result: Defeated UTEP 51-0
Stat to know: Oklahoma has beaten UTEP in four season openers since 2012.
What's next: Saturday at Michigan, noon, Fox
12. Alabama Crimson Tide
Previous ranking: 13
2026 record: 1-0
Week 1 result: Defeated East Carolina 48-10
Stat to know: Alabama held East Carolina to 2 rushing yards, the fewest by an Alabama opponent since 2021.
What's next: Saturday at Kentucky, 3:30 p.m., ABC
13. Texas Tech Red Raiders
Previous ranking: 12
2026 record: 1-0
Week 1 result: Defeated Abilene Christian 33-10
Stat to know: Texas Tech has now won three consecutive season openers.
What's next: Saturday at Oregon State, 7:30 p.m., CBS
14. USC Trojans
Previous ranking: T14
2026 record: 2-0
Week 1 result: Defeated Fresno State 39-0
Stat to know: USC allowed 116 total yards against Fresno State, the fewest it has allowed in a game since 2008.
What's next: Saturday vs. Louisiana, 11 p.m., Big Ten Network
15. BYU Cougars
Previous ranking: T14
2026 record: 1-0
Week 1 result: Defeated Utah Tech 63-7
Stat to know: BYU is now 10-1 in season openers under Kalani Sitake.
What's next: Saturday vs. Arizona, 3:30 p.m., Fox
16. Penn State Nittany Lions
Previous ranking: 18
2026 record: 1-0
Week 1 result: Defeated Marshall 45-0
Stat to know: Penn State now has 26 consecutive wins against nonconference opponents.
What's next: Saturday at Temple, noon, ESPN2
17. SMU Mustangs
Previous ranking: 19
2026 record: 1-0
Week 1 result: Defeated Florida State 27-24
Stat to know: SMU has won eight consecutive season openers.
What's next: Saturday at UC Davis, 4 p.m., ACC Extra
18. Tennessee Volunteers
Previous ranking: 20
2026 record: 1-0
Week 1 result: Defeated Furman 56-9
Stat to know: Tennessee is 18-0 against FCS schools since the FCS/FBS split in 1978.​
What's next: Saturday at Georgia Tech, 7 p.m., ESPN
19. Washington Huskies
Previous ranking: 17
2026 record: 1-0
Week 1 result: Defeated Washington State 24-10
Stat to know: Washington now has back-to-back wins against Washington State for the first time since 2022-23.
What's next: Saturday vs. Utah State, 3:30 p.m., Big Ten Network
20. Utah Utes
Previous ranking: 21
2026 record: 1-0
Week 1 result: Defeated Idaho 66-14
Stat to know: Utah's 66 points against Idaho were its most in a season opener since 1915.
What's next: Saturday vs. Arkansas, 10:15 p.m., ESPN
21. Iowa Hawkeyes
Previous ranking: 22
2026 record: 1-0
Week 1 result: Defeated Northern Illinois 40-0
Stat to know: Iowa is 10-1 all time against Northern Illinois.
What's next: Saturday vs. Iowa State, 7:30 p.m., NBC
22. Houston Cougars
Previous ranking: 23
2026 record: 1-0
Week 1 result: Defeated Oregon State 33-20
Stat to know: QB Conner Weigman had his eighth game since last season with a passing and rushing touchdown. He is tied for the third-most games of that kind in FBS in that span.
What's next: Saturday vs. Southern, 7 p.m., ESPN+
23. Missouri Tigers
Previous ranking: 25
2026 record: 1-0
Week 1 result: Defeated Arkansas Pine-Bluff 54-14
Stat to know: Missouri has won 20 consecutive season openers against nonconference opponents.
What's next: Friday at Kansas, 8 p.m., Fox
24. Louisville Cardinals
Previous ranking: 24
2026 record: 0-1
Week 1 result: Lost to Ole Miss 38-41
Stat to know: Eight of Louisville's nine losses over the past three seasons have been one-possession games.
What's next: Friday vs. Villanova, 7 p.m., ACC Network
25. Virginia Cavaliers
Previous ranking: NR
2026 record: 1-0
Week 1 result: Defeated NC State 34-8
Stat to know: Virginia's 258 rushing yards against NC State were its most in an ACC game since 2020.
What's next: Friday vs. Norfolk State, 7 p.m., ACC Extra
