Coaches Top 25 Poll Week 2 Prediction: 2026 College Football Rankings

There’s no Coaches Poll after Week 0, so what will the Coaches Poll Top 25 be after the first big weekend of games? Here’s our call on what the rankings will be (and we’ll change on Monday night – the next Coaches Poll will be released on Tuesday, September 8).

Along with projecting all the seemingly obvious Week 1 games, this looks ahead, predicting what might happen with LSU facing Clemson, Louisville dealing with Ole Miss, and SMU going to Florida State.

Top 5 Predicted Others Receiving Votes: Virginia, Arizona, South Carolina, Vanderbilt, Auburn

Preseason AP Ranking: (29) 
Week 1 Opponent: UAB 
Predicted Record After Week 1: 1-0

Preseason AP Ranking: (27) 
Week 1 Opponent: Florida Atlantic 
Predicted Record After Week 1: 1-0

Current Coaches Poll Ranking: 25 
Week 1 Opponent: Arkansas-Pine Bluff 
Predicted Record After Week 1: 0-1

Current Coaches Poll Ranking: 24 
Week 1 Opponent: Oregon State 
Predicted Record After Week 1: 1-0

Current Coaches Poll Ranking: 22 
Week 1 Opponent: Northern Illinois 
Predicted Record After Week 1: 1-0

Current Coaches Poll Ranking: 21 
Week 1 Opponent: Idaho 
Predicted Record After Week 1: 0-1

Current Coaches Poll Ranking: 19 
Week 1 Opponent: Washington State 
Predicted Record After Week 1: 1-0

Current Coaches Poll Ranking: 18 
Week 1 Opponent: Furman 
Predicted Record After Week 1: 1-0

Current Coaches Poll Ranking: 17 
Week 1 Opponent: Marshall 
Predicted Record After Week 1: 1-0

Current Coaches Poll Ranking: 16 
Week 1 Opponent: Western Michigan 
Predicted Record After Week 1: 1-0

Current Coaches Poll Ranking: 15 
Week 1 Opponent: Utah Tech 
Predicted Record After Week 1: 1-0

Current Coaches Poll Ranking: 14 
Week 1 Opponent: Fresno State 
Predicted Record After Week 1: 2-0

Current Coaches Poll Ranking: 12 
Week 1 Opponent: Abilene Christian 
Predicted Record After Week 1: 1-0

Current Coaches Poll Ranking: 13 
Week 1 Opponent: Clemson 
Predicted Record After Week 1: 1-0

Current Coaches Poll Ranking: 11 
Week 1 Opponent: East Carolina 
Predicted Record After Week 1: 1-0

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Ole Miss running back Kewan Lacy (5) celebrates after scoring a touchdown during a college football game between Ole Miss and LSU at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium in Oxford, Miss., on Saturday, Sept. 27, 2025. Ole Miss defeated LSU 24-19. Ayrton Breckenridge/Clarion Ledger / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

© Ayrton Breckenridge/Clarion Ledger / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Current Coaches Poll Ranking: 10 
Week 1 Opponent: Louisville 
Predicted Record After Week 1: 1-0

Current Coaches Poll Ranking: 9 
Week 1 Opponent: UTEP 
Predicted Record After Week 1: 1-0

Current Coaches Poll Ranking: 8 
Week 1 Opponent: Missouri State 
Predicted Record After Week 1: 1-0

Current Coaches Poll Ranking: 7 
Week 1 Opponent: at Stanford 
Predicted Record After Week 1: 1-0

Current Coaches Poll Ranking: 6 
Week 1 Opponent: North Texas 
Predicted Record After Week 1: 1-0

Current Coaches Poll Ranking: 5 
Week 1 Opponent: Wisconsin 
Predicted Record After Week 1: 1-0

Current Coaches Poll Ranking: 4 
Week 1 Opponent: Texas State 
Predicted Record After Week 1: 1-0

Current Coaches Poll Ranking: 3 
Week 1 Opponent: Tennessee State 
Predicted Record After Week 1: 1-0

Current Coaches Poll Ranking: 2 
Week 1 Opponent: Boise State 
Predicted Record After Week 1: 1-0

Current Coaches Poll Ranking: 1 
Week 1 Opponent: Ball State 
Predicted Record After Week 1: 1-0