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Sport ▲ Hot Trend score 66 · Published August 20, 2026 · Updated September 26, 2026

College Football 2026 Season: AP Top 25, Heisman Race and Playoff Dates

Q: Who is No. 1 in college football right now?

**Texas.** The Longhorns hold No. 1 in the AP Top 25 released **Sunday, September 20, 2026**, with **58 of 69 first-place votes**, after a 30-6 home win over UTSA. They took the top spot a week earlier by beating **preseason No. 1 Ohio State 24-23** in Austin. Behind them: **No. 2 Georgia, No. 3 Notre Dame, No. 4 Ole Miss, No. 5 Indiana**. The next AP poll comes out Sunday, September 27, after this weekend's games. Sources: AP, NCAA.com.

Q: What is the full AP Top 25 for college football?

The AP Top 25 of **September 20, 2026**: 1. Texas, 2. Georgia, 3. Notre Dame, 4. Ole Miss, 5. Indiana, 6. Miami, 7. Ohio State, 8. Alabama, 9. BYU, 10. LSU, 11. Texas Tech, 12. USC, 13. Penn State, 14. Tennessee, 15. Utah, 16. Louisville, 17. Iowa, 18. Michigan, 19. Missouri, 20. Oregon, 21. Florida, 22. SMU, 23. Texas A&M, 24. Mississippi State, 25. Houston. The **SEC has 10 ranked teams**. Sources: AP, Sports Illustrated.

Q: What happened in Texas vs Ohio State in 2026?

On **September 12, 2026 in Austin**, Texas trailed **23-3** and scored touchdowns on three straight possessions to win **24-23**, with **Hollywood Smothers** running in the winning 1-yard touchdown with 25 seconds left. According to Sportradar, cited by AP, it was the **largest fourth-quarter rally ever to beat an AP No. 1 team**, and Ohio State had never before lost a game it led by 17 or more at halftime. The Buckeyes fell out of the top five and sit **No. 7**. Sources: AP, Eleven Warriors.

Q: What are the biggest upsets of the 2026 college football season so far?

**Oklahoma State 39, No. 6 Oregon 31** on September 12, which ended Oregon's 41-game win streak against unranked opponents; **Kentucky 31, No. 9 Texas A&M 21** at College Station on September 19, dropping the Aggies to No. 23; and Texas's comeback against top-ranked Ohio State. Other statement wins: **Michigan 17, Oklahoma 10** (September 12), **Ole Miss 32, LSU 24** and **Florida 44, Auburn 39** (September 19). Sources: AP, NBC Sports, Sports Illustrated.

Q: Who is the Heisman favorite in 2026?

Two quarterbacks lead the market. At DraftKings on **September 22**, **Trinidad Chambliss (Ole Miss) was +310** and **Darian Mensah (Miami) +370**, with every other player at +1000 or longer: **Jeremiah Smith** (Ohio State WR) +1050, **Kamario Taylor** (Mississippi State QB) +1100, **Malachi Toney** (Miami WR) +1300, **Arch Manning** (Texas QB) +1400 and **CJ Carr** (Notre Dame QB) +1500. Odds move every week, and the trophy is awarded in December. Sources: NBC Sports, DraftKings.

Q: When does the 2026 college football season start?

It already has. **Week 0 was Saturday, August 29, 2026**, with ESPN's coverage opening a night earlier, **Friday, August 28**, with Idaho at Cal Poly. The **full Week 1 slate followed over Labor Day weekend (September 5-7)**, and the season is now into **Week 4 (Saturday, September 26)**. The regular season runs until conference championship weekend on December 4-5. Sources: ESPN, FBSchedules.com.

Q: What were the Week 0 results in 2026?

In the **Aer Lingus College Football Classic in Dublin**, **North Carolina beat TCU 15-10** on August 29 to open Bill Belichick's second season, with QB Billy Edwards Jr. throwing for 232 yards. **USC beat San Jose State 42-26** (Jayden Maiava: 286 passing yards, two touchdowns). The Dublin game is an annual fixture because it gives teams a scheduling exemption and the sport an international showcase. Sources: ESPN, RTÉ, AP.

Q: What are the big college football games this weekend?

**Saturday, September 26 (Week 4)** has six ranked-vs-ranked games: **No. 1 Texas at No. 14 Tennessee** (noon ET, with ESPN College GameDay at Neyland Stadium), **No. 4 Ole Miss vs No. 21 Florida**, **No. 17 Iowa vs No. 18 Michigan**, **No. 23 Texas A&M vs No. 10 LSU**, **No. 20 Oregon vs No. 12 USC** and **No. 19 Missouri vs No. 24 Mississippi State**. Oklahoma also visits No. 2 Georgia (3:30 p.m. ET). Sources: Yahoo Sports, The Big Lead.

Q: Where can I watch college football in 2026?

Rights are split across **ESPN and its networks** (ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ABC, SEC Network, ACC Network), **Fox and FS1** (Big Ten and Big 12), **NBC and Peacock** (Notre Dame home games and a Big Ten package), **CBS** and **The CW**. The **College Football Playoff** is shared between **ESPN/ABC and TNT**: the Fiesta and Orange Bowls are on TNT, the Sugar Bowl and the national championship on ABC/ESPN. Sources: ESPN, NBC Sports, College Football Playoff.

Texas is No. 1 in the AP Top 25 released Sunday, September 20, 2026, after rallying from 23-3 down to beat preseason No. 1 Ohio State 24-23 on September 12. Georgia, Notre Dame, Ole Miss and Indiana complete the top five, Ole Miss QB Trinidad Chambliss and Miami QB Darian Mensah lead the Heisman odds, the first College Football Playoff rankings drop Tuesday, November 3, and the 12-team bracket ends at the national championship on Monday, January 25, 2027 in Las Vegas. Sources: AP, ESPN, NCAA.com, NBC Sports, College Football Playoff.

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The context

The 2026 college football season has already rewritten its preseason script. Texas is No. 1 in the AP Top 25 released Sunday, September 20, holding 58 of 69 first-place votes, and it earned the spot the hard way: on September 12 in Austin, the Longhorns trailed preseason No. 1 Ohio State 23-3, then scored touchdowns on three straight drives to win 24-23, Hollywood Smothers diving in from a yard out with 25 seconds left. According to Sportradar, it was the largest fourth-quarter comeback ever to beat an AP No. 1 team. Ohio State now sits No. 7.

The rest of the top five is Georgia, Notre Dame, Ole Miss and Indiana. Ole Miss jumped from No. 8 to No. 4 by beating LSU 32-24 on September 19, with quarterback Trinidad Chambliss throwing for 363 yards and running in the go-ahead touchdown. The same Saturday, unranked Kentucky won 31-21 at Texas A&M, sending the Aggies from No. 9 to No. 23, while Florida (44-39 at Auburn) and Mississippi State entered the poll. The loudest upset came a week earlier, when Oklahoma State beat No. 6 Oregon 39-31; the Ducks are now No. 20. The SEC has 10 ranked teams.

The Heisman race is a two-man market for now: at DraftKings on September 22, Chambliss was +310 and Miami’s Darian Mensah +370, with Ohio State receiver Jeremiah Smith, Mississippi State’s Kamario Taylor, Miami’s Malachi Toney and Texas’s Arch Manning further back. This weekend (Week 4, Saturday, September 26) offers six ranked-vs-ranked games, headlined by No. 1 Texas at No. 14 Tennessee and No. 20 Oregon vs No. 12 USC; the next AP poll lands Sunday, September 27.

The season opened on August 29 with Week 0: North Carolina beat TCU 15-10 in Dublin in Bill Belichick’s second season, and USC beat San Jose State 42-26. Structurally, 2026 is a realignment year for the middle of the sport: an eight-team Pac-12 built around Boise State, Oregon State and Washington State, a reshaped Mountain West, Louisiana Tech in the Sun Belt, and North Dakota State and Sacramento State stepping up to push the FBS to 138 teams.

The endgame is fixed. Conference title games run December 4-5 (Big 12 on Friday in Arlington; ACC, SEC and Big Ten on Saturday in Charlotte, Atlanta and Indianapolis). The committee’s first CFP rankings arrive Tuesday, November 3, and the 12-team bracket is revealed Sunday, December 6. The first round is December 18-19 on campus, the quarterfinals are the Fiesta Bowl (December 30) and the Cotton, Rose and Peach Bowls (January 1), the semifinals the Orange (January 14) and Sugar (January 15) Bowls, and the national championship is Monday, January 25, 2027 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. Sources: AP, ESPN, NCAA.com, NBC Sports, College Football Playoff, FBSchedules.com.

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Texas. The Longhorns hold No. 1 in the AP Top 25 released Sunday, September 20, 2026, with 58 of 69 first-place votes, after a 30-6 home win over UTSA. They took the top spot a week earlier by beating preseason No. 1 Ohio State 24-23 in Austin. Behind them: No. 2 Georgia, No. 3 Notre Dame, No. 4 Ole Miss, No. 5 Indiana. The next AP poll comes out Sunday, September 27, after this weekend's games. Sources: AP, NCAA.com.

The AP Top 25 of September 20, 2026: 1. Texas, 2. Georgia, 3. Notre Dame, 4. Ole Miss, 5. Indiana, 6. Miami, 7. Ohio State, 8. Alabama, 9. BYU, 10. LSU, 11. Texas Tech, 12. USC, 13. Penn State, 14. Tennessee, 15. Utah, 16. Louisville, 17. Iowa, 18. Michigan, 19. Missouri, 20. Oregon, 21. Florida, 22. SMU, 23. Texas A&M, 24. Mississippi State, 25. Houston. The SEC has 10 ranked teams. Sources: AP, Sports Illustrated.

On September 12, 2026 in Austin, Texas trailed 23-3 and scored touchdowns on three straight possessions to win 24-23, with Hollywood Smothers running in the winning 1-yard touchdown with 25 seconds left. According to Sportradar, cited by AP, it was the largest fourth-quarter rally ever to beat an AP No. 1 team, and Ohio State had never before lost a game it led by 17 or more at halftime. The Buckeyes fell out of the top five and sit No. 7. Sources: AP, Eleven Warriors.

Oklahoma State 39, No. 6 Oregon 31 on September 12, which ended Oregon's 41-game win streak against unranked opponents; Kentucky 31, No. 9 Texas A&M 21 at College Station on September 19, dropping the Aggies to No. 23; and Texas's comeback against top-ranked Ohio State. Other statement wins: Michigan 17, Oklahoma 10 (September 12), Ole Miss 32, LSU 24 and Florida 44, Auburn 39 (September 19). Sources: AP, NBC Sports, Sports Illustrated.

Two quarterbacks lead the market. At DraftKings on September 22, Trinidad Chambliss (Ole Miss) was +310 and Darian Mensah (Miami) +370, with every other player at +1000 or longer: Jeremiah Smith (Ohio State WR) +1050, Kamario Taylor (Mississippi State QB) +1100, Malachi Toney (Miami WR) +1300, Arch Manning (Texas QB) +1400 and CJ Carr (Notre Dame QB) +1500. Odds move every week, and the trophy is awarded in December. Sources: NBC Sports, DraftKings.

It already has. Week 0 was Saturday, August 29, 2026, with ESPN's coverage opening a night earlier, Friday, August 28, with Idaho at Cal Poly. The full Week 1 slate followed over Labor Day weekend (September 5-7), and the season is now into Week 4 (Saturday, September 26). The regular season runs until conference championship weekend on December 4-5. Sources: ESPN, FBSchedules.com.

Week 0 is a small set of games played the weekend *before* the official Week 1 opener. The NCAA allows it in seasons where the calendar leaves an extra Saturday, and it is typically filled with teams that have a built-in scheduling exemption, most often the ones travelling abroad for a season opener, plus a handful of FCS kickoff showcases. For fans it means the sport returns roughly a week earlier than expected, with a near-empty TV window and no competition for attention. Sources: NCAA.com, ESPN.

In the Aer Lingus College Football Classic in Dublin, North Carolina beat TCU 15-10 on August 29 to open Bill Belichick's second season, with QB Billy Edwards Jr. throwing for 232 yards. USC beat San Jose State 42-26 (Jayden Maiava: 286 passing yards, two touchdowns). The Dublin game is an annual fixture because it gives teams a scheduling exemption and the sport an international showcase. Sources: ESPN, RTÉ, AP.

Saturday, September 26 (Week 4) has six ranked-vs-ranked games: No. 1 Texas at No. 14 Tennessee (noon ET, with ESPN College GameDay at Neyland Stadium), No. 4 Ole Miss vs No. 21 Florida, No. 17 Iowa vs No. 18 Michigan, No. 23 Texas A&M vs No. 10 LSU, No. 20 Oregon vs No. 12 USC and No. 19 Missouri vs No. 24 Mississippi State. Oklahoma also visits No. 2 Georgia (3:30 p.m. ET). Sources: Yahoo Sports, The Big Lead.

Rights are split across ESPN and its networks (ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ABC, SEC Network, ACC Network), Fox and FS1 (Big Ten and Big 12), NBC and Peacock (Notre Dame home games and a Big Ten package), CBS and The CW. The College Football Playoff is shared between ESPN/ABC and TNT: the Fiesta and Orange Bowls are on TNT, the Sugar Bowl and the national championship on ABC/ESPN. Sources: ESPN, NBC Sports, College Football Playoff.

Tuesday, November 3, 2026, at 7:00 p.m. ET on ESPN. The selection committee then publishes a new top 25 every Tuesday through December 1, and reveals the 12-team bracket on Selection Day, Sunday, December 6 at noon ET. Until November, the AP poll and the Coaches Poll are only media and coaches opinions: they do not decide who makes the playoff. Sources: College Football Playoff, FBSchedules.com.

Monday, January 25, 2027, at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas (7:30 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN). The path: first round on Friday, December 18 and Saturday, December 19, 2026 at campus sites; quarterfinals at the Fiesta Bowl on Wednesday, December 30, then the Cotton, Rose and Peach Bowls on Friday, January 1, 2027; semifinals at the Orange Bowl on Thursday, January 14 and the Sugar Bowl on Friday, January 15. Sources: College Football Playoff, ESPN, FBSchedules.com.

Twelve, for the third straight season. The champions of the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12 and SEC qualify automatically, plus the highest-ranked champion from the American, Conference USA, MAC, Mountain West, Pac-12 and Sun Belt, and seven at-large teams. Seeding is straight from the committee's final ranking: the top four teams get a first-round bye whether or not they won their conference, and seeds 5-12 play on the higher seed's campus. Sources: College Football Playoff, NCAA.com.

The Big 12 Championship opens the weekend on Friday, December 4 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington (ABC). On Saturday, December 5: the ACC Championship at noon ET in Charlotte (ABC), the SEC Championship at 4:00 p.m. ET at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta (ABC), and the Big Ten Championship at 8:00 p.m. ET at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis (FOX). Sources: NCAA.com, ACC, Big 12.

Several, mostly outside the Power conferences. The Pac-12 is rebuilt as an eight-team league: Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, Oregon State, San Diego State, Texas State, Utah State and Washington State. The Mountain West, after losing five programs to that new Pac-12, added Northern Illinois from the MAC, UTEP from Conference USA and North Dakota State for football. Louisiana Tech left Conference USA for the Sun Belt. And North Dakota State and Sacramento State moved up from FCS to FBS, taking the FBS to 138 teams. Sources: ESPN, FBSchedules.com.