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Monday's unveiling of the 2025 AP Top 25 poll riled up some fanbases. Including snubbing three worthy teams outside of the rankings. Even the term “overrated” surfaces here.
Texas won't earn the infamous “O” word, though. The Longhorns lure back an abundance of talent. Plus feature Arch Manning in the most highly anticipated season ever for an incoming starting quarterback.
Penn State sparked conversations by landing ahead of defending national champion Ohio State. But the Nittany Lions stockpiled on returning talent and massive college football transfer portal additions. Clemson earned an “underrated” label by CBS Sports, landing at No. 4 ahead of Georgia.
So who earns the overrated label? Each of these teams reside in the Southeastern Conference.
Oklahoma Sooners land in Top 25
Yes there's renewed enthusiasm for the Sooners. Oklahoma is predicted to be better in 2025.
But No. 18 is awfully high for a team that finished sub .500 last year. There's multiple other reasons why OU falls here.
John Mateer is an intriguing quarterback addition. But he's facing a big jump to the SEC after playing in the two-team Pac-12 Conference in 2024. Incoming transfer Jadyn Ott must produce right out the gate too for one of the worst ground attacks in the conference.
Mateer and Ott happen to play behind one of the nation's worst offensive lines last season. Head coach Brent Venables still must figure out his front five in the trenches.
Oklahoma must beat Michigan early to ensure the AP did right by placing them inside the top 20. But No. 18 feels like a massive stretch.
Ole Miss Rebels sneak into Top 25
Clearly last season's results persuaded Ole Miss's ranking. Or the fact Jaxson Dart came from here. Some fans will believe head coach Lane Kiffin persuaded the No. 21 ranking.
Regardless, Ole Miss comes with a revamped roster ahead of the season. Including at Dart's old position behind center. It'll either be sophomore Austin Simmons or freshman A.J. Maddox locking down QB1 in Oxford.
Meanwhile, the Rebels bring back a total of five returners from their 10-3 team. That's right — just five. There's even four brand new faces protecting the incoming QB.
Fortunately Ole Miss gets five of its first six games at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. So perhaps the AP envisions a 6-0 start out the gate. But then comes back-to-back road trips against Georgia and the aforementioned Oklahoma. We'll likely find out more about this Rebels team even earlier, when Arkansas pulls into Oxford on Sept. 13.
Tennessee Volunteers
Who's the real starter at quarterback? Especially following the much discussed Nico Iamaleava drama out of Knoxville?
Head coach Josh Heupel is yet to settle on former UCLA QB Joey Aguilar or four-star college football recruiting signing Jake Merklinger — who's still in play for QB1.
The Volunteers have more than QB to figure out though. A new lead running back must emerge with Dylan Sampson in the league. Wide receiver is another thin area with Dont'e Thornton gone too. Tennessee could roll with as many as three freshmen — including prized 2025 four-star signings Travis Smith Jr. and Radarious Jackson.
Heupel needs to rely on defense to maintain the 24th ranking or shoot higher. The Vols bring back seven starters there. But an untested RB and question marks at QB spell potential growing pains early. Even the season opener against a 10-3 Syracuse team from a year ago could knock Tennessee out the rankings right away.
