CBS Sports ranks Ohio State No. 1 in post-spring college football rankings

CBS Sports has released its 138-team post-spring rankings for the 2026 college football season, placing Ohio State at the No. 1 position, narrowly ahead of Texas. The rankings are derived from expert ballots submitted by CBS Sports and 247Sports analysts following the conclusion of spring practice. With the spring transfer portal now closed, rosters are largely set, providing a clear checkpoint for the landscape heading into the new season.

Ohio State holds the top spot with an average ballot ranking of 2.0 from experts, indicating a lack of consensus on their exact position relative to other elite programmes. The top five teams—Ohio State, Texas, Oregon, Notre Dame, and Georgia—each carry average ballot rankings of 4.6 or better. This wide dispersion of votes suggests a tight tier of contenders with little agreement on the precise order among them.

The top tier also includes reigning national champion Indiana and runner-up Miami, who received a first-place vote. Teams that made the College Football Playoff in 2025, including Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Oklahoma, Alabama, and Ole Miss, are ranked below the top seven. Although three of those five teams return their quarterbacks, they remain outside the upper echelon of the rankings.

Significant movements in the standings are attributed to coaching changes. LSU, Florida, and Penn State have risen into the top 20, while Michigan is noted under new head coach Kyle Whittingham. Conversely, some Group of Six squads have seen their expectations adjusted following double-digit win seasons in 2025 and subsequent coaching departures.

The CBS Sports 138 list has expanded this season to include 138 teams, with North Dakota State and Sacramento State added for the first time. The rankings serve as a comprehensive overview of every FBS team, reflecting the expert consensus after a full offseason of player movement and spring practice evaluations.