What do the early preseason college football polls tell us about college football (CFB) and the CFB Playoff in 2026-27? Are we CFB fans going to see more nonsense after all the changes that have occurred in our favorite sport? Our own Mr. FishDuck had to take a pause from his gaming fun at Pinco to share his apprehension about the preseason polls for the coming year. He wanted to know–is the Big-10 going to be disrespected again?
First, let’s take a look at nine preseason CFB polls, presented in a composite top 25 ranking by On3-Rivals. The polls used in the composite: On3, Crain and Cone, ESPN, CBS Sports, USA Today, The Sporting News, Yahoo Sports, Fox Sports, and The Athletic. This is a solid, representative list of the myriad online sites that cover college football.
Rankings by Conference
SEC – There are Nine teams are ranked: 3 Texas, 4 Georgia, T 8 Texas A&M, 10 Oklahoma, 12 LSU, 13 Ole Miss, 16 Alabama, 23 Missouri, 25 Vanderbilt.
—-
Big Ten – There are Eight teams are ranked: 1 Ohio State, 2 Indiana, 5 Oregon, 14 Michigan, 15 USC, 17 Penn State, T 18 Washington, 22 Iowa
—-
Big 12 – There are Four teams are ranked: 7 Texas Tech, 11 BYU, T 18 Utah, 24 Houston
—-
ACC – There are Three teams are ranked: T 8 Miami; T 18 Louisville, 21 SMU
—-
Independent – 6 Notre Dame
—-
An Oregon rematch with Georgia would be interesting on our home field for once. (Photo by Tom Corno)
Projected 2026-27 Playoff Field
1 Ohio State vs. 9 Texas A+M at 8 Miami – at T 8, this seeding could be flipped – still, a rematch of the 2025-26 1st round game.
4. Georgia vs. 12 G6 at 5 Oregon – any G6 team that enters Autzen in December – Abandon all Hope.
2. Indiana vs. 10 Oklahoma at 7 Texas Tech – I think the Red Raiders would be happy with a 1st round game instead of a too-long bye-bye.
3. Texas vs. 11 BYU at 6 Notre Dame – South Bend instead of just south of Salt Lake, but a regular-season rematch nonetheless. The LDS lads playing in front of TD Jesus, bring it on!
Four SEC teams, three Big Ten teams, two B12 teams, and one ACC, Independent, and G6 team are in this projected field.
Apparently, the SEC Pavlovian-Dawg-like pollsters did not get the memo that the Big Ten has surpassed the SEC as CFB’s No. 1 football conference.
Yes, there is recency bias in claiming the B1G is the nation’s best at football, but if the point of polling is to forecast the top 25 to be revealed by the Playoff Committee on December 6, 2026, nine SEC teams, 56% of the conference, are not likely to finish in the top 25. Especially with the SEC playing nine conference games in 2026.
The projected playoff field would have the same B1G triumvirate in the field, and with No. 16 Alabama out of the field, the SEC would have four and not five teams competing in the playoff.
BYU joins Texas Tech in the field, one more B12 team than last season, and Notre Dame in the field means CFB will not again have to endure a South Bend, spoiled child, hissy-fit.
Tony Petitti, B1G Commissioner, truly has an important role in shaping the Playoffs. (Screenshot from Big 10 Network Video)
What would his field be if Greg Sankey hadn’t pulled the rug out on Tony Petitti’s 16-team, automatic qualifier playoff format? 12 LSU, 13 Ole Miss, 14 Michigan, and 15 Louisville (T 18) would be in the 2026-27 field.
Both the ACC and the B12 would have two, not one team, in the field; the SEC would have two more teams in the field, and the B1G one more team.
In the name of dollars and sense, why are the ACC, B12, and the SEC against Petitti’s plan? Same for the 12-seed or higher, and the Irish are in, Notre Dame? Comparing roster strength by conference, the ACC and the B12 are odds on to have one and not two, let alone three teams, in the field.
Of course, the final Playoff Committee ranking in 2026 will not duplicate this preseason composite ranking, but I project that it will not be too far off from this early composite ranking.
Sankey and the SEC should stop shooting themselves in the financial foot and stop obstructing the B1G 16-team playoff format. One result of the Petitti plan would be CFB having much better and more profitable out-of-conference games,
I humbly beseech the gods of college football to, in 2026, have 12th-ranked Notre Dame eliminate No. 11 Alabama. Oh, and if you want to give Oregon another 11-1 High Five, that will be just fine.
Jon Joseph
Aiken, South Carolina
Top Screenshot from the SEC Network Twitter, “X” Video
Share your thoughts about this team in the only free, “polite and respectful” Oregon Sports message board, the Our Beloved Ducks forum!
Related Articles:
Why Oregon Football Always Belongs in the National Conversation
The B1G Won the 2026 Coaching Carousel...Big-Time!
Continuity? Lanning's Hiring Success is Put to the Test
Why Whether Dyer Was Down or Not...Doesn't Matter
How to Analyze Football Talent Like a Pro
Some Thoughts as the Football Withdrawals Kick In
Jon Joseph grew up in Boston, Massachusetts but has been blessed to have lived long enough in the west to have exorcised all east coast bias. He played football in college and has passionately followed the game for seven decades. A retired corporate attorney Jon has lectured across the country and published numerous articles on banking and gaming law. Now a resident of Aiken South Carolina, Jon follows college football across the nation with a focus on the Conference of Champions and the Ducks.