Preseason AP Poll · 2026
Updated Aug 30, 2026Comparing the preseason AP poll with the TailgateNinjas model: 3 teams our model puts in the top 25 are unranked by the voters, and the biggest single gap is Michigan, #7 in our model and #16 in the poll. Updated August 29, 2026.
The voters rank 25 teams on reputation and results. Our model rates all 136 from schedule, roster and market inputs. Here is every place the two disagree — and because both are on the record, December decides who was right.
These are our model-only ranks — power, schedule and expected wins, with no poll input. They can differ from the board, which deliberately blends our model with public perception. Comparing the AP against a number that already contains the AP would understate every gap below.
The voters have these teams lower than our model does. A positive gap is how many spots further down the poll has them.
| Team | Our rank | AP | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Michigan | #7 | #16 | +9 |
| USC | #8 | #14 | +6 |
| Houston | #18 | #23 | +5 |
| Notre Dame | #1 | #4 | +3 |
| Indiana | #4 | #6 | +2 |
| Penn State | #16 | #18 | +2 |
| Miami | #6 | #7 | +1 |
| Texas Tech | #11 | #12 | +1 |
The voters are more bullish here than the model is.
Teams the poll left out entirely that our model rates inside its own cutoff.
Teams carrying a poll ranking that our model doesn't rate that highly.
| Team | Our rank | AP | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Utah | #27 | #21 | -6 |
| Louisville | #39 | #24 | -15 |
| Missouri | #28 | #25 | -3 |