How do Penn State, Big Ten teams compare in US LBM Coaches Poll vs. AP Top 25?
In the US LBM Coaches Poll, released Aug. 4, Penn State was ranked No. 3 behind Texas and Ohio State. The Nittany Lions received 14 first-place votes, and it's their highest preseason ranking since 1999. That Penn State team was ranked No. 4 and climbed to No. 2 after a 9-0 start. However, the wheels fell off for the Nittany Lions, who suffered three straight losses to end the regular season at 9-3 and out of championship contention.
The AP Top 25 Poll, released Aug. 11, has Penn State ranked at No. 2 with 23 first-place votes — just two fewer than No. 1 Texas. This is the Nittany Lions' highest ranking in the AP preseason poll since 1997, when they started as the No. 1 team. That squad started 7-0, but blowout losses to Michigan and Michigan State ended its championship hopes.
The biggest difference between the preseason polls is Penn State's ranking relative to the Big Ten. The AP poll ranks the Nittany Lions one spot above Ohio State, a team that they haven't beaten since 2016. This could be interpreted as a vote of confidence in Penn State's experienced veteran roster, or a sign of doubt for a Buckeyes team that will have many new starters. The coaches poll has them reversed, with Ohio State ranked one spot above Penn State. Regardless, we'll get to see who has the upper hand when they meet in Columbus on Nov. 1.
The rest of the polls line up similarly. No. 7 Oregon, No. 12 Illinois and No. 14 Michigan are ranked the same in both polls, while Indiana is ranked No. 19 in the coaches poll and No. 20 in the AP poll. As it stands, Penn State will face three ranked teams — Ohio State, Oregon and Indiana — but it might play even more depending on how the year shakes out.
In the coaches poll, Iowa is considered the No. 33 team after receiving 49 votes, whereas the Hawkeyes would be No. 42 based on their five votes in the AP poll. Nebraska (19 votes) is No. 39 in the coaches poll, but is ranked higher at No. 34 (23 votes) in the AP poll. Where these teams stand is very relevant when it comes to Penn State's end-of-year resume, which will help determine their College Football Playoff seeding.
Simply put, the Nittany Lions will be rooting for Iowa and Nebraska to be ranked in the top 25 when they play them. At best, Penn State would add two ranked wins to its resume. Conversely, Penn State wouldn't be punished too hard for having ranked losses to these teams.
There's also an important change to the CFP format this year that will likely benefit the Big Ten and SEC conferences. Now, the top four teams will receive first-round byes regardless of if they won their conference. Last year, Penn State was ranked No. 4, but didn't get a bye because they lost the Big Ten championship game.
Of course, the CFP Committee decides the CFP rankings, but the Nittany Lions' spot in these preseason polls will certainly impact their perception, especially in the scenario that Penn State drops games and needs some help to get a more favorable seeding.
Regardless of which poll you look at, Penn State is going to have a target on its back as one of the top teams in the nation and is going to get every opponent's best shot.
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Where Oregon Ducks rank in preseason AP Top 25 since 2000
Over the past couple of weeks, there have been signs that college football has returned at long last. While players are returning to practices across the nation and preseason watch lists are being publicized, college football is in the air. The best signifier that it is finally football season, though? The Associated Press Poll has returned. The AP Top 25 was released on Monday morning, and the Oregon Ducks are regarded highly, as expected. AP ranks Dan Lanning's squad as the No. 7 team in the nation, which is the third-highest team in the Big Ten Conference. This ranking aligns with the US LBM Coaches Poll released last week. While the Ducks have a new-look team going into the year with just four returning starters, there are still high expectations for them going into the 2025 season, with their fifth top-10 ranking in the College Football Playoff era. But how does it compare to years past when the Ducks also had high expectations going into the season? Let's take a look. Here are the Ducks' preseason AP rankings for every season going back to the turn of the century. 2000 — Unranked Highest Midseason AP Ranking: No. 5 (Week 13) Season Record: 10-2 Bowl Game Result: 35-30 Win vs. Texas in Holiday Bowl Analysis: Coming off a strong 1999 season, Oregon had high expectations at the turn of the century, and it made good on those expectations, reaching No. 5 in the rankings before beating Texas in the Holiday Bowl. 2001 — No. 7 Highest Midseason AP Ranking: No. 2 (Week 16, Final) Season Record: 11-1 Bowl Game Result: 38-16 Win vs. Colorado in Fiesta Bowl Analysis: This is the year that put the Ducks on the map. It was Joey Harrington's Heisman campaign season, and Oregon ultimately reached No. 2 in the nation before being snubbed for a spot in the BCS National Championship Game. It smoked Colorado in the Fiesta Bowl instead. 2002 — No. 15 Highest Midseason AP Ranking: No. 6 (Week 9) Season Record: 7-6 Bowl Game Result: 38-17 Loss vs. Wake Forest in Seattle Bowl Analysis: With Harrington out the door, expectations fell back to earth for the Ducks. They still played well in the middle of the season, getting to No. 6 in the rankings, but a loss in the bowl game put a damper on the season. 2003 — Unranked Highest Midseason AP Ranking: No. 10 (Week 5) Season Record: 8-5 Bowl Game Result: 31-30 Loss to Minnesota in Sun Bowl Analysis: The year started out with an upset over Michigan at home, which led the Ducks into the rankings quickly, but the season fell apart from there. 2004 — No. 23 Highest Midseason AP Ranking: No. 23 (Week 1) Season Record: 5-6 Bowl Game Result: No Bowl Analysis: It was a tough year for the Ducks in 2004. There were some expectations in the preseason when they were ranked inside the top 25. 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Oregon was arguably the best team in the nation this season. If it weren't for a Dennis Dixon torn ACL late in the year, it would have played for the national championship and likely gained a Heisman Trophy. This one still stings for most Duck fans. 2008 — No. 21 Highest Midseason AP Ranking: No. 10 (Week 17, Final) Season Record: 10-3 Bowl Game Result: 42-31 Win over Oklahoma State in Holiday Bowl Analysis: After losing Dennis Dixon and Jonathan Stewart, Oregon bounced back with Jeremiah Masoli and LeGarrette Blount and found great success, reaching a peak at No. 10 in the rankings late in the year. 2009 — No. 16 Highest Midseason AP Ranking: No. 7 (Week 10, 14, 15) Season Record: 10-3 Bowl Game Result: 26-17 Loss to Ohio State in Rose Bowl Analysis: The Ducks might have arrived in 2001 under Joey Harrington, but they finally became cool in 2009 with Chip Kelly leading the way. 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USA Today
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Top LSU football rival makes big decision about starting quarterback
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