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noah_divine Ballot for 2026 Preseason

Ballot Type: Human

Submitted: Aug. 17, 2026, 7:15 p.m.

Overall Rationale: the 25 best teams coming into the 2026 season, in my opinion. only taking into account roster construction and coaching.

Rank Team Reason
1 Miami Hurricanes right up there with Texas in terms of best rosters in college football. the only reason they're higher is because, and i cannot believe i'm about to say this, i trust Mario Cristobal more than Steve Sarkisian to get the most out of his team.
2 Texas Longhorns easily a top 3 roster in the sport, adding Cam Coleman is going to be even more impactful than people think. this is make or break for Sark. if Texas misses the playoffs again, he's on the unemployment line.
3 Oregon Ducks best quarterback in college football, studs all over the place, and a proven winner... in the regular season. is this the year Dan Lanning finally breaks through?
4 Ohio State Buckeyes too many question marks for me to rank them any higher and i think the AP and coaches polls are smoking crack for having them at #1. yes they have Jeremiah Smith and yes they have Julian Sayin but everything else i have to see to believe.
5 Notre Dame Fighting Irish maybe an all-in year for the Irish with how loaded this roster is. not the best roster though. Marcus Freeman needs to squeeze everything out of them.
6 Georgia Bulldogs still not a believer in Gunner Stockton, and that receiver room is questionable, but it's a Kirby Smart coached team, they'll be fine. it's also a Mike Bobo coached offense...
7 Indiana Hoosiers this ranking is NOT me doubting Curt Cignetti's coaching ability. this ranking is actually me doubting Josh Hoover
8 Ole Miss Rebels head coach is not a question mark, Pete Golding got the most out of that team in the playoff. just wonder how much this roster stacks up to the rest of the ACC
9 Oklahoma Sooners a season of John Mateer at full health, a nice looking skill position group, good OL, and a sneaky elite defense. unfortunately it is an even-numbered year so they will go 6-7
10 Texas A&M Aggies this team is either winning the SEC or falling off the face of the earth LSU/Clemson/Penn State style. i don't see an in-between with a Marcel Reed-led team.
11 Alabama Crimson Tide whoever the quarterback for this team is (i think it should be Austin Mack, for the record) will probably have a very easy life with how talented the rest of the roster is.
12 LSU Tigers how good will Lane Kiffin be in his first year with his new team? idk man, i do NOT trust Sam Leavitt in the slightest
13 Texas Tech Red Raiders all comes down to how good Will Hammond is, and if Micah Hudson can get out of the doghouse. i still hate you all though
14 Michigan Wolverines all comes down to how good Bryce Underwood is. i still really hate you all though (and i do think Tommy Carr will be starting by the time they play OSU)
15 BYU Cougars the official college football team of overpriced average-tasting cookies and Bear Bachmeier
16 USC Trojans if this team doesn't make the playoff, Lincoln Riley is more cooked than his Easter Sunday brisket
17 Penn State Nittany Lions basically a mix of the best of Penn State and Iowa State from last year, and honestly i like it. i think they could be a sneaky good team this year.
18 Oklahoma State Cowboys basically North Texas' entire team from last year, and yep, i am EXTREMELY high on them in 2026. i love Mestemaker and Caleb Hawkins might be the best running back in the country. prove me right Eric Morris
19 Washington Huskies i love Demond Williams, i love Jayden Limar, and i'm banking on Jedd Fisch getting the most out of everyone else here. how good is Washington gonna be? who knows.
20 Tennessee Volunteers whoever the quarterback for this team is (i think it should be Faizon Brandon, for the record) will probably have a very easy life with how talented the rest of the roster is.
21 Houston Cougars listen to me Willie. listen close. if you start Keisean Henderson, you are going to win the Big 12. trust me. you have the team to do it. just start the high upside freshman.
22 Florida Gators crazy good roster, really just comes down to 1. how good Aaron Philo is (or Tramell Jones Jr.), 2. how good Jon Sumrall can adapt to the SEC, and 3. if they can survive the bloodbath that is the SEC
23 USF Bulls best G6 roster in my eyes and the team i think will represent them in the playoff. all comes down to Brian Hartline. his play-calling at Ohio State left a lot to be desired
24 Louisville Cardinals honestly i really didn't want to rank them but if i didn't i would have had to rank Iowa, Missouri, or Clemson and i really didn't want to do that
25 Arizona State Sun Devils can i say something about Iowa real quick? they don't deserve to be anywhere near the top 25. the roster is so mid and Ferentz is so mid and everything about them is mid why do we keep ranking them. anyways i like the potential of this ASU team a lot more than Iowa.

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