The first AP Top 25 poll of the 2026 college football season is in, and the familiar heavyweights are there again. Georgia, Ohio State and Texas are expected to roll into another strong year.
But for a lot of programs, that kind of stability is still out of reach. Some schools are still trying to claw their way back into relevance, and for a few of them, the drought has stretched on for years. In some cases, it’s been decades since they last saw their name in the AP Top 25.
That’s the backdrop for seven teams carrying the longest poll droughts into 2026. For several of these programs, even the postseason conversation feels distant.
The climb back is steep, especially for schools buried near the bottom of their conferences. And for some, getting anywhere near the College Football Playoff is more dream than realistic target.
One team worth watching in that group is Cal.
The Golden Bears could be one of the more intriguing breakout stories in 2026, with new head coach Tosh Lupoi and quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele giving them a real chance to make noise in the ACC. Cal went 7-6 last season and brings in a strong transfer class for this year, which gives the roster a different look heading into the fall.
The schedule also gives the Bears a real opening. They won’t play any preseason-ranked opponents, and that matters when you’re trying to break through into the Top 25.
Still, one date stands out: Sept. 25 against Clemson. That matchup could tell a lot about where Cal really stands. Last season, the Golden Bears came up short in all three of their ranked games against Syracuse, SMU and UNLV, so they’ll need a different result when the spotlight finds them again.