Subscribe
Follow Us
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 above where it's at now is the Oregon football team.
Oregon will finish in the top five of final AP Poll
The Oregon football team wasn't ready to go when the College Football Playoff quarterfinal at the Rose Bowl went down, and it cost the Ducks their season. Oregon beat Ohio State in the regular season, but when they met in the Rose Bowl, it was a completely different story. The Buckeyes completely dominated the Ducks from start to finish, and they went on to win the national championship. Oregon was 13-0 up to that point, and the team was ranked #1 in the country for much of the season. It was a disappointing way to end the year, but the Ducks were arguably the best team in college football.
In this year's preseason AP Poll, the Oregon football team falls at No. 7. It feels like the Ducks should be ranked higher than that based off of what this team has back from last year and what they were able to do in the transfer portal.
The biggest reason why Oregon isn't ranked as high to start the year is because of the quarterback position. It's the most important position in football, and the blueprint for success in this era does start with an experienced QB. However, that doesn't that mean that the Ducks can't win big with a first-year starter (Moore was the starter at UCLA but not for a full season). There have been three teams in the College Football Playoff era to win a national championship with a first-year QB, so it can be done.
Dante Moore is expected to be the starting quarterback for the Oregon football team. The former five-star started his career at UCLA before transferring to Oregon ahead of the 2024 season. His decision to transfer then knowing that he would be behind Dillon Gabriel should pay off this year. Getting that extra year to learn behind a terrific QB will come in handy.
There are always going to be question marks around a first-year QB, but outside of that, Oregon looks really good across the board. The Ducks lost some good talent to the NFL, but they hit the transfer portal hard to fill the gaps.
The Oregon offensive line is an area that is going to have some new faces, but there are a lot of talented transfers that should help the unit pick up where it left off. Oregon fans should be incredibly excited about true freshman wide receiver Dakorien Moore who should be one of the top wideouts on the team. Kenyon Sadiq seems poised for a big year at tight end, and the running back duo of Tulane transfer Makhi Hughes and Noah Whittington should be one of the best in the Big Ten. Dante Moore has a ton to work with.
Oregon lost some stars on the defensive side as well, but the Ducks are going to be very good in the trenches with Matayo Uiagalelei leading the way. Getting pressure on opposing QBs shouldn't be an issue, and that will make everything easier on the rest of the defense. All in all, there is a lot to like about this Oregon football team.
This might not be the year that the Oregon football team goes all the way and wins a national championship, but expect the Ducks to finish better than No. 7 in the final AP Poll. Dan Lanning has built something special in Eugene, and there is a ton of talent on this roster. It's going to be another good year for Oregon, and the team is more than capable of making a run to the College Football Playoff semifinals.
