AP Top 25 Preseason Poll Released: Shocking New No. 1 Team Shakes Up College Football

AUSTIN, Texas — History was made Monday when the Associated Press released its preseason Top 25, crowning Texas as the No. 1 team for the first time since the poll began in 1936. The Longhorns edged out fellow Big Ten newcomer Penn State by just five points, while perennial powerhouse Ohio State sits a close third. Why it matters • Texas opens its inaugural season in the expanded SEC with 25 first-place votes, the most in program history. • Ten SEC programs landed in the rankings, underscoring the league’s continued dominance even as realignment reshapes college football. • The top three are separated by a mere 80 points, the tightest spread since 1998, hinting at a wide-open national-title chase. Top 10 snapshot 1. Texas (25 first-place votes) 2. Penn State (23) 3. Ohio State (11) 4. Clemson (4) 5. Georgia (1) 6. Notre Dame 7. Oregon 8. Alabama 9. LSU 10. Miami (FL) Key storylines to watch Realignment spotlight – Texas and Oklahoma debut in the SEC, immediately giving the conference four of the top eight teams. Their Sept. 21 league opener in Tuscaloosa could recalibrate the playoff race before October. Quarterback carousel – Quinn Ewers returns for Texas, but Penn State’s Drew Allar and Ohio State’s Julian Sayin headline a sophomore quarterback class expected to light up Big Ten defenses. Coaching pressure – Brent Venables’ Sooners begin at No. 18 after a rocky 2024. Meanwhile, Clemson’s Dabo Swinney re-enters the top five after missing last year’s playoff, and Georgia’s Kirby Smart must replace 13 NFL draft picks. Group-of-Five breakthrough – Boise State sneaks in at No. 25, the program’s first preseason appearance since 2018. The Broncos’ Sept. 7 clash with Washington State offers a résumé-building opportunity for the Mountain West favorites. Early playoff implications Week 1: Clemson vs. Georgia in Atlanta will pit top-five teams in a de facto elimination game. Week 2: Oregon travels to Ohio State in a rematch of last year’s Rose Bowl thriller. Week 3: Texas at Alabama headlines the schedule, and a Longhorn win could cement Steve Sarkisian’s squad as the playoff frontrunner. What’s next The AP poll will update weekly once the season kicks off Aug. 30. With the College Football Playoff expanding to 12 teams this year, every ranking shift will carry added weight in December’s selection process. For now, the Longhorns own the preseason spotlight—but the margin for error has rarely been thinner.