2026 College Football Rankings: FOX Sports releases post-spring Top 25

Fox Sports has released its latest college football rankings for the 2026 season, and it looks like the Big Team will have a big year. RJ Young, a national college football analyst for FOX Sports, believes three Big Ten teams are among the five best in the country.

It’s not surprising to see the Big Ten dominating the top five of the rankings since the last three national champions are from the conference. The Indiana Hooisers won it all last year, Ohio State took home the title in 2024, and Michigan claimed the title in 2023.

But can Indiana run it back in 2026, or will it be another surprise team that becomes the king of college football? Here’s a look at FOX Sports’ post-spring Top 25 rankings.

1. Indiana Hoosiers

Indiana will have a new starting QB, as Fernando Mendoza has moved on to the NFL. But the Hoosiers have Curt Cignetti as the head coach, and he has posted a 27-2 record in the last two seasons.

With Cignetti at the helm, Indiana has gone from an afterthought to a college football power. It will be difficult to go back-to-back, but it wouldn’t be surprising, since Indiana is a well-coached squad that doesn’t make too many mistakes.

2. Ohio State Buckeyes

Ohio State will always have the talent to win a national title. And this year is no different, as the team is led by wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, who recorded 1,243 yards and 12 touchdowns in 2025.

Ohio State will be tested in 2026. They have a road matchup against Indiana, a home battle against Oregon, and The Game, which will be played in Columbus.

3. Georgia Bulldogs

Georgia hasn’t won a playoff game since winning the national title during the 2022 season, but that doesn’t take away what the team has done this decade. The back-to-back SEC champions simply find ways to win more times than not.

QB Gunner Stockton is back, and the expectations are high for him. In 2025, Stockton completed 69.7 percent of his passes for 2,894 yards and 24 touchdowns. He also had 10 TDs on the ground.

4. Oregon Ducks

Like Georgia, Oregon is bringing back its starting QB for the 2026. Dante Moore threw for 3,565 yards and 30 touchdowns in 15 games for the Ducks last year.

Oregon will have two new coordinators this fall, and the schedule won’t be easy with battles against USC, Ohio State, and Michigan. But head coach Dan Lanning will have his team ready for battle each week, which will likely result in another playoff run.

5. Texas Longhorns

Texas had a disappointing 2025 season, but the expectation is that Arch Manning will be college football’s best player in 2026. In his first season as the full-time starter, Manning showed glimpses of greatness, and he will have some talented players surrounding him this fall.

The big test for Manning and the Longhorns will be a matchup against Ohio State on Sept. 12. A win against the Buckeyes will give Texas huge momentum the rest of the year.

6. Notre Dame Fighting Irish

Notre Dame just missed the playoffs last year, but FOX Sports doesn’t believe it will happen in 2026. The schedule should help them in a big way, as the Fighting Irish’s biggest challenges will be against BYU in October and Miami in November.

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The running game will be different, as running backs Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price are now in the NFL. But QB CJ Carr returns and is looking to build on a strong freshman season.

7. Miami Hurricanes

Miami made a run to the national championship last year and fell to Indiana in the title game. The Hurricanes should be in a position to compete for a title this year, as they are arguably the best team in the ACC.

Former Duke QB Darian Mensah joined Miami after leading the Blue Devils to the ACC title in 2025. He threw for 3,973 yards and 34 TDs, and both numbers topped the conference.

8. LSU Tigers

With Lane Kiffin as LSU’s new head coach, the expectations are high for the Tigers. Kiffin did some good things at Ole Miss, but he will be expected to win a national title sooner rather than later.

The good news for LSU fans is that several key transfers have made their way to Baton Rouge, including former Arizona QB Sam Leavitt and former Colorado OL Jordan Seaton. This could be Kiffin’s best chance to win his first national title.

9. Texas A&M Aggies

Texas A&M won 11 games last year and reached the College Football Playoff. However, the Aggies lost to Texas and missed out on the SEC Championship game, and they suffered a tough 10-3 loss to Miami in the playoff game.

For Texas A&M to take that next step, QB Marcel Reed will need to improve. In the playoff game against Miami, Reed threw two interceptions and was sacked seven times.

10. Oklahoma Sooners

Oklahoma won 10 games and clinched a spot in the playoffs. A key return is QB John Mateer, who recorded 22 total touchdowns in 2025.

We’ll find out a lot about Oklahoma in the first five games of 2026. The matchups during that span include road contests against Michigan and Georgia, and a home battle against Texas in the Red River Rivalry.