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The AP Top 25 was released on Monday, and you know what that means: The college football season is right around the corner. Fans start to get the itch as soon as summer begins, but it really starts to feel real when the AP Poll comes out. There weren't a ton of surprises in the preseason poll, but there is still a lot to discuss before Week 1 rolls around. That first week, by the way, features three top 10 matchups. Here are the full preseason rankings:
1. Texas (25)
2. Penn State (23)
3. Ohio State (11)
4. Clemson (4)
5. Georgia (1)
6. Notre Dame
7. Oregon (1)
8. Alabama
9. LSU
10. Miami FL
11. Arizona State
12. Illinois
13. South Carolina
14. Michigan
15. Florida
16. SMU
17. Kansas State
18. Oklahoma
19. Texas A&M
20. Indiana
21. Ole Miss
22. Iowa State
23. Texas Tech
24. Tennessee
25. Boise State
The Texas football team takes the top spot in the preseason AP Top 25, and that doesn't come as a big surprise. The Longhorns are loaded, and the Arch Manning era is about to begin. Two elite Big Ten programs fall behind Texas as Penn State and Ohio State round out the top three. Something to note: The last two national champions have been from the Big Ten, and they started the year ranked #2 in the AP Poll. Last year it was Ohio State, and the year before was Michigan. This year, it's the Nittany Lions.
One thing to keep in mind about the preseason AP Poll release is that these rankings mean literally nothing. The College Football Playoff rankings are the only ones that matter, and those don't come out until the season is halfway over. The AP Top 25 is fun and it's a good sign that college football is near, but it doesn't impact anything.
Another thing to remember is that these rankings will look completely different when the season comes to an end. Some of these teams will finished unranked, and some new teams will make their way in. One team that will finish below where it's at now is the Ohio State football team.
Ohio State is overrated in the preseason AP Poll
The Ohio State football team won the national championship last year, but a repeat is not coming for the Buckeyes. Ohio State lost a lot of talent to the NFL, and while the team is returning a lot of good players, the roster doesn't appear to be nearly as good as last year's. The Buckeyes had one of the best rosters that the sport has even seen last season, and Ryan Day still managed to lose two games. Without the fortunate timing of the College Football Playoff expansion, it would've been one of the most disappointing seasons ever for the Buckeyes, and Day's job would've been in trouble. Instead, the Buckeyes were given extra chances, and kudos to them for taking advantage and saving Day. Unfortunately, this year will be a different story after starting the seaosn ranked No.3 in the AP Poll. Here is why:
The quarterback situation
There is a blueprint for success in college football, and it starts with having an experienced quarterback. The Ohio State football team doesn't have that this year. The Buckeyes have a tight QB battle on their hands, and it's between Julian Sayin and Lincoln Kienholz. The two of them have combined for just 34 career passing attempts. That isn't a lot!
We do have to consider here that most new starters don't have a player like Jeremiah Smith that they can rely on. That will go a long way, and the Buckeyes will still be a College Football Playoff team because of it. However, will Ohio State finish better than No. 3 in the AP Poll at the end of the year? Probably not. That would mean making another run to the national title game, and that will be hard to do with an inexperienced QB.
Ryan Day does less with more
Ryan Day deserves his credit for winning the national championship last year, but let's not pretend like it wouldn't have been a disaster of a season for him if the College Football Playoff didn't expand. In any other year, that's Day's worst coaching job yet. He had the his best roster by far, and he somehow managed to lose two regular season games, including a home contest to 6-5 Michigan as 20-point favorites. If you give a team that talented enough chances, they are going to take advantage. The Buckeyes did that when the CFP rolled around, and they deserve a lot of credit. However, we still need to be cautious about Ryan Day. His coaching job in the regular season was horrendous. He has done a lot of underperforming in Columbus, and he still hasn't beaten Michigan since 2019. The Ohio State football team is going to take a step back.
Ohio State is still going to have a solid year, and the Buckeyes are going to end up in the College Football Playoff. However, they will not finish the season ranked inside the top three of the final AP Poll.
