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AP Top 25 rankings
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The gist
AP Top 25 rankings release Tuesday after Week 1 upsets and blowouts.
LSU's rout and Michigan's narrow win shake up the poll.
Background
The AP Top 25 college football poll is released weekly during the season, ranking the top 25 teams based on voter ballots. After the first full weekend of the 2026 season, several results — including LSU's dominant 51-10 win over Clemson and Michigan's narrow 13-12 escape against Western Michigan — are expected to cause significant movement in the rankings. The new poll will be released on Tuesday, Sept. 8.
How it unfolded
- Aug 17, 2026AP Top 25 preseason poll released.
- Sep 6, 2026Week 1 games conclude with LSU routing Clemson 51-10 and Michigan narrowly beating Western Michigan 13-12.
- Sep 8, 2026AP Top 25 poll for Week 2 is scheduled to be released.
Who’s saying what
- Analysts
- LSU is set to climb significantly after its dominant win, while Oregon's No. 2 status is in doubt after a close game against Boise State.
- Caution
- Michigan's controversial last-second win over Western Michigan gives voters reason to drop the Wolverines despite the victory.
Still unverified
Projections of specific rankings are speculative and vary by source; the actual AP Top 25 will be released Tuesday.