A Reaction to the First AP Poll
Credit: Land-Grant Holy Land
By Tucker Harlin
We’re just under two weeks away from football season and the AP has released its first Top 25.
Everyone that covers the sport at a national level always says to overreact accordingly.
So that’s what I’m going to do.
We’ll start from the top, and to be honest, I have no complaints about the top four teams in the poll.
Georgia and Ohio State are the consensus top two teams across publications. Oregon and Texas will have enough strength at quarterback to justify a top four ranking. The only question with this group is if Ryan Day can withstand the immense amount of pressure he’s under.
The controversy will ensue from here on out.
I have a gripe with Alabama at the fifth spot. I like Kalen DeBoer as a coach and Jalen Milroe as a quarterback, but I just don’t know if I can buy them as a top five team in the country yet. It wouldn’t surprise me if it’s in the top five when all is said and done, but I can’t make any assumptions right now.
On paper, Ole Miss in the sixth spot looks just fine. My gripe here is that Lane Kiffin and big games don’t mix well, so I don’t think they’ll be able to hold onto that spot.
Here’s where the real fun begins: Notre Dame at seven.
It’s a preseason tradition like no other. A November home game against Florida State and trips to Texas A&M and USC to begin and end the season are the only matchups where a healthy level of concern is justifiable. But most of the teams on the list could be ranked preseason top 10 with that cakewalk.
Penn State at eight is probably where it’ll stay all season. It seems James Franklin is always guaranteed two losses a year.
Michigan and Florida State at nine and ten is somebody voting on a brand without looking deeper into what each team gained and lost in the offseason.
The ACC is bad so it wouldn’t surprise me if FSU finishes at or near the top, but it doesn’t deserve a top 10 rank.
On the other hand, Michigan lost 16 starters, a head coach, and is about to get hammered by the NCAA. I don’t see how a Harbaugh-less Michigan competes with fast-paced west coast teams in the years to come.
Mizzou at 11 is like Notre Dame at seven, but to a lesser extent.
The schedule will do the Tigers a lot of favors, and they absolutely have the offensive pieces to go far. It’s all a matter of how Eli Drinkwitz coaches with high expectations, something he hasn’t dealt with in Columbia.
I have no complaints with Utah and LSU at 12 and 13.
A healthy Cam Rising has the Utes at or near the top of the Big 12. I can see why people would be unhappy with LSU at 13, but that team has enough potential to earn the spot.
I don’t like Clemson at 14. It’s clear that Garrett Riley was running Dabo Swinney’s offense, and Cade Klubnik didn’t live up to the hype at all. It wouldn’t surprise me to see Clemson in the ACC title, but that conference just isn’t very good.
Tennessee comes in at 15. While I do think there are a handful of teams the Vols can beat ahead of them in the poll, I’m not ready to say they are a top 10 team.
Oklahoma at 16 is another one I’m unsure about. The Sooners absolutely have what it takes to be a top 15 team, but it all comes down to the play of Jackson Arnold.
I have no complaints about Oklahoma State and Kansas State at 17 and 18. I definitely think the Pokes are the better of the two and a serious contender for the Big 12 in 2024.
Miami and Texas A&M at 19 and 20 are the last two I have any disagreement with.
The Hurricanes have one of the most recognizable brands in the ACC, but this just feels like another one of the last 15 years for the program. Mario Cristobal lost all credibility as a coach when he ran the ball instead of kneeing out what would’ve been a win over Georgia Tech.
I think Texas A&M will be a more entertaining watch this season than last, but I don’t think they should be above some of the teams in the bottom of the poll just yet.
Arizona, Kansas, USC, NC State, and Iowa all fit in the last five spots.
I’m not upset about any in the “others receiving votes category” getting left out. Louisville got the most votes of those schools, but considering it couldn’t stop the Miller Moss version of USC, I see no issue with it being left out.
