Five biggest takeaways from preseason AP Poll

USA Today

a day ago

The preseason AP Poll has been released, and with it come some interesting storylines. Certain conferences have found themselves dominating the upper echelons of the rankings while still, there are some surprises. Mostly though, is the notable amount of parity as voters are expecting a college football season unlike any other. Here are Nittany Lions Wire's five biggest takeaways from the AP poll and what it means for the outlook of what could be a very crazy season.
Big Ten/ SEC duopoly in top 25
Both conferences must be doing something right. After all, when combined, you place 16 teams in the preseason top 25, perhaps calls for a duopoly in college football are not that far-fetched. In fact, four out of the top 5 teams in the country, according to AP are in both these powerhouse conferences. If we take a closer look, seven of the top 10 and 11 of the top 15 are either from the Big Ten or the SEC. Perhaps some will view this as an overreaction to how top-heavy both conferences are, and some might say a team like Michigan at no. 14 or a South Carolina at no. 13 don't deserve it as much as other schools outside the two conferences. Still, others think that potentially rebuilding squads like Tennessee at 24 should have missed it entirely. Nevertheless, if anything, this gives both conferences the leverage in a potential battle to expand the playoff to 16 teams. Whether that will be good for the sport remains to be seen, but now both have a case, as that is exactly how many teams they have put into these rankings.
Penn State given the short end of the stick?
This one also plays into the parity narrative, except that Penn State isn't exactly benefitting. A lot of people can say that the dominance of both the SEC and Big Ten in this poll renders parity obsolete, but take a look at the voting and it's a wholly different story. Texas received 25 first-place votes and 1,552 points overall (based on the 25 points you get for first-place votes, 24 for second, and so on), while Penn State received 23 and 1,547 overall points. When you consider the system that voters use, what should frustrate Penn State fans is not their overall point total, but perhaps the fact that with the same number or even just one more first-place vote than the Longhorns, Penn State would have been the preseason No. 1 team. In fact, on some ballots, it was reported that Texas finished as low as sixth, while Penn State was only ever that low on one ballot. If that doesn't enrage the Penn State faithful, I don't know what will. At the very least, they will have ample time to continue to prove themselves to AP voters throughout the season.
What to Make of the Big 12?
With the release of these rankings, only one thing about a certain conference rings true: the Big 12 is going to be just as bizarre to figure out as ever. That just goes to show that the conference is just a group of very good teams without one truly separating itself from the pack in the eyes of college football fans, AP voters and analysts alike. Arizona State is the highest-ranked Big 12 squad, but no one knows how they will perform without the presence of Cam Skattebo. Kansas State is ranked 17th, but is Avery Johnson really that good or are his Big 12 opponents just not as good either? The Texas Tech Red Raiders are certainly making some offseason noise after an impressive transfer portal haul and at no. 23, have ample room to move up these rankings. The big question is whether or not these portal additions coalesce together. To top everything off, while only four Big 12 teams made the final poll, nine received at least one vote. If seen fit, Arizona State could have been the team to see itself as the true top dog and a potential top 10 candidate without lower-tier Big 12 teams "stealing" votes. But because of the chaos, everything in the conference is still very much up in the air.
Some good Week 1 matchups continue to stand out
One of the primary beneficiaries of both the US LBM coaches poll and the preseason AP Poll may just be the first official week of the college football season. As more and more polls come out, more and more hype will be placed around some tasty top 10 and top 5 matchups. The first big game of the weekend comes on August 30, when No. 1 Texas takes on No.3 Ohio State. While the coaches poll sees it as a proper 1 vs. 2 battle, it still sets up a mouthwatering CFP semifinal rematch with a lot of implications but not as many repercussions for two teams with a bunch of new faces. No matter which poll you choose to follow, it is a tried and true top 5 matchup you have to pencil into your calendar at all costs. The following day brings another interconference showdown as the only ACC team in the top 5, fourth-ranked Clemson takes on ninth-ranked LSU. Two of the most experienced and savvy quarterbacks in the country playing for more than just pride but for potential chaos in the first week of the season? Sign me up. It does not get better than Week 1 of the 2025 college football season when you look at the polls.
Group of 5 Gets Some Love
While it is a familiar face carrying the torch for the little guys, Boise State at the very least is ranked. As the only non-Power 4 representative, that has to stand for something. Despite the loss of Ashton Jeanty to the NFL, they still return perhaps the strongest Group of 5 roster and quarterback Maddux Madsen. This year may look different, but don't sleep on the Broncos. Still, it was not necessarily a resounding vote of confidence for the Broncos to make it in. They actually only appeared on 42 of 64 ballots and were only in to top 20 on 14. Most concerning for the rest of the Group of 5, while eight teams received at least one vote, only Tulane and UNLV were in a voter's top 20. The gap continues to grow, and if the Broncos don't live up to snuff, the Group of 5 could lose further ground to the big guns. Still, at No. 25, they at the very least got a seat at the table to start the year.