Oregon is No. 2 in the AP Top 25 (Preseason, published August 17, 2026), with 1,597 points and 14 first-place votes, behind No. 1 Ohio State. Oregon is No. 2 in the US LBM Coaches Poll (Preseason, August 4, 2026). No Oregon team has ever opened an AP poll higher: the previous best was No. 3, in 2011, 2013, 2014 and 2024. 4 teams on the 2026 schedule are also ranked.

| Sources: AP Top 25 (Associated Press), Preseason, retrieved via the ESPN rankings API on August 17, 2026; US LBM Coaches Poll (AFCA, conducted by USA Today), Preseason, retrieved via the ESPN rankings API on August 12, 2026
No. 2
AP Top 25
Preseason, August 17, 2026
No. 2
Coaches Poll
Preseason, August 4, 2026
14
AP First-Place Votes
of 69 cast
75
Points Behind No. 1
Ohio State, 1,672 pts

Is This Oregon's Highest Preseason Ranking Ever?

Oregon has never opened an AP preseason poll higher than No. 2. The Ducks have opened a season in the AP top five only in the years below. Oregon has reached No. 1 during a season, in 2010, 2012 and 2024, but has never started one there.

SeasonAP PreseasonNote
2026No. 2Highest preseason ranking in program history.
2025No. 7Opened seventh, finished the regular season in the CFP.
2024No. 3One of four seasons Oregon opened No. 3.
2014No. 3Mariota's Heisman year. Reached the national title game.
2013No. 3
2011No. 3First of the No. 3 starts.
9
Straight seasons in the AP preseason poll
through August 17, 2026
3
Straight seasons opening in the AP top 10
through August 17, 2026

Sources: Portland Tribune / Pamplin Media (Aug 17, 2026); Sports Illustrated Oregon (May 12, 2026); University of Oregon Athletics (Aug 11, 2025).

Who Is Ranked Ahead of Oregon?

1 team ahead
No. 1 Ohio State (1,672 pts, 40 first-place votes). Oregon plays Ohio State this season.

Which Teams on Oregon's Schedule Are Ranked?

AP RkOpponentDateWhere
1Ohio StateNov 7Away
T-14USCSept 26Away
16MichiganNov 14Autzen
17WashingtonNov 28Autzen

Full previews for all of them on the 2026 schedule.

The Full AP Top 25

The Associated Press Top 25, voted by a national panel of sportswriters and broadcasters. Released weekly from the preseason poll through the final poll after the national championship game. This is the poll most people mean by "the rankings."

RkTeamPts1st
1Ohio State1,67240
2Oregon1,59714
3Georgia1,513
4Notre Dame1,5106
5Texas1,483
6Indiana1,4408
7Miami1,3791
8Texas A&M1,131
9Ole Miss1,102
10Oklahoma1,047
11LSU988
12Texas Tech983
13Alabama904
T-14USC839
T-14BYU839
16Michigan718
17Washington501
18Penn State482
19SMU434
20Tennessee394
21Utah304
22Iowa260
23Houston252
24Louisville194
25Missouri117

Source: AP Top 25, Preseason, August 17, 2026. Retrieved August 17, 2026.

The Full US LBM Coaches Poll Top 25

Preseason. Conducted by USA Today for the American Football Coaches Association; a panel of FBS head coaches votes a Top 25.

RkTeamPts1st
1Ohio State1,74138
2Oregon1,6376
3Georgia1,5917
4Texas1,5442
5Notre Dame1,5245
6Indiana1,52214
7Miami1,409
8Texas A&M1,174
9Oklahoma1,104
10Ole Miss1,096
11Alabama1,050
12Texas Tech1,034
13LSU951
14USC838
15BYU781
16Michigan719
17Penn State463
18Tennessee428
19Washington406
20SMU378
21Utah313
22Iowa291
23Clemson235
24Houston194
25Missouri158

Source: US LBM Coaches Poll, Preseason, August 4, 2026. Retrieved August 12, 2026.

Where the Two Polls Disagree

Different panels, different answers. These are the teams the writers and the coaches see at least three spots apart, plus anyone ranked in one poll and not the other.

TeamAPCoachesGap
LouisvilleNo. 24UnrankedOne poll only
ClemsonUnrankedNo. 23One poll only

Oregon's Week-by-Week AP Ranking

One AP poll has been released so far this season (Preseason). This table fills in every Sunday once games start, and each poll is recorded automatically the week it comes out.

Frequently Asked Questions

Oregon is No. 2 in the AP Top 25 (Preseason, published August 17, 2026) with 1,597 points and 14 first-place votes, and No. 2 in the US LBM Coaches Poll.

No. Ohio State is No. 1 with 40 of the 69 first-place votes, and Oregon is No. 2, 75 points back. Oregon did receive 14 first-place votes.

Oregon has never opened an AP preseason poll higher than No. 2. The 2026 team opened there. Before that, Oregon's best preseason start was No. 3, which it reached in 2011, 2013, 2014 and 2024. Source: Portland Tribune / Pamplin Media (Aug 17, 2026); Sports Illustrated Oregon (May 12, 2026); University of Oregon Athletics (Aug 11, 2025).

No. 1 Ohio State. That is 1 team.

4 of Oregon's 2026 opponents are ranked in the current AP Top 25: No. 1 Ohio State (Nov 7), T-14 USC (Sept 26), No. 16 Michigan (Nov 14), No. 17 Washington (Nov 28).

The AP Top 25 is voted by a national panel of sportswriters and broadcasters. The US LBM Coaches Poll is voted by a panel of FBS head coaches and is conducted by USA Today for the American Football Coaches Association. They are separate panels and they disagree, which is why both are shown here side by side.

No. The 12-team College Football Playoff field is set by the CFP selection committee, which publishes its own rankings starting in November. The AP and Coaches polls carry no formal weight in that decision. They are the polls everyone quotes, not the ones that pick the field.

The preseason AP Top 25 is released in mid-August, and a new poll follows every Sunday through the regular season, with a final poll after the national championship game. This page re-reads the poll automatically, so the numbers above are the current ones, not a snapshot of the day it was written.