Josh Furlong's AP Top 25: A look at the preseason favorites ahead of the 2026 season

As the 2026 college football season approaches, the sports landscape is being defined by new preseason evaluations of team strength and potential. According to coverage from FOX Sports, a comprehensive ranking has been established that places all 138 FBS teams in a specific order of standing. This wide-reaching assessment provides a baseline for every team currently competing at the highest level of collegiate football in the United States, setting the stage for the upcoming kickoff and the subsequent competition for national dominance. FOX Sports is the primary outlet providing this specific data, emphasizing a total ranking of the entire FBS field rather than focusing solely on a small group of elite contenders.

The coverage focuses on the positioning of these 138 programs, offering a complete snapshot of where every team stands before any official games have been played. By ranking every single program, the reporting highlights the perceived gaps between the top-tier favorites and those situated at the bottom of the collegiate hierarchy for the 2026 cycle. The context of these rankings is critical because they establish the expectations and pressure for coaching staffs and players before the season begins. In the FBS structure, these preseason positions often influence how matchups are viewed and how teams are perceived by the broader sporting public.

Because the rankings cover all 138 teams, the data serves as a comprehensive map of the collegiate football ecosystem, providing a quantitative look at the parity or disparity existing across the various conferences and independent programs. Moving forward, observers will be watching to see how these 138 teams perform relative to their assigned preseason positions once the 2026 kickoff occurs. The focus will remain on whether the teams ranked at the top maintain their standing or if lower-ranked programs create upsets that force a shift in the rankings. Based on the provided coverage, the primary metric for success in the coming weeks will be the alignment between these initial FOX Sports rankings and the actual results delivered on the field during the early stages of the season.