Ohio State opens at No. 1, with Oregon right behind at No. 2, giving the Big Ten the two highest chairs before a single snap is taken. Texas checks in at No. 4 in its new SEC home, and Oklahoma lands at No. 9, confirming that realignment's biggest moves came with immediate polling respect.
But the headline grabber is Bloomington. Indiana sits No. 6 — a stunning preseason valuation for a program that spent decades as an afterthought. The Hoosiers slot ahead of Miami, Texas A&M, and Oklahoma, which says this poll isn't just about brand; it's about believing last season was a floor, not a ceiling.
The SEC still stacks the board with eight teams, and the Big Ten matches that footprint with its own octet. Together they hold 16 of 25 spots. The message from the voters is unmistakable: the race runs through two conferences, and everyone else is fighting for the margins.
Data via ESPN · Summarized by D1Ball's editorial engine from official statistics.
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