Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney is interviewed by ESPN near quarterback Cade Klubnik (2) USA TODAY Sports

Quick Reactions to USA Today Coaches Poll

Originally posted on Mike Farrell Sports
By Mark Pszonak | Last updated Aug 4, 2025 2:44 PM ET

Today truly feels like the start of the college football season, with the annual release of the USA Today Coaches Poll. Now everyone can officially begin to argue about who is over-rated and under-rated. Here are a few quick reactions regarding the poll.

#1 Texas at #2 Ohio State as a season opener

The skinny: This game was going to have an immense amount of hype no matter what the rankings were going to be, but now it will be taken to a ridiculous level. Be prepared to be buried with news regarding both teams leading up to the August 30^th game.

Clemson should be ranked higher

The skinny: I’m specifically looking at you Notre Dame. There is little tangible reason that the Irish should be ranked ahead of the Tigers in the preseason poll, but yet it still happened.

Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney is interviewed by ESPN near quarterback Cade Klubnik (2)

Why is Michigan #14?

The skinny: After finishing 8-5 last season, the Wolverines are preseason #14 because they’ll be starting a true freshman quarterback and must replace numerous veteran defensive starters? If the uniform didn’t say Michigan, they wouldn’t be #14.

Did $ buy Texas Tech a better finish than #24?

The skinny: It is no secret that Texas Tech splashed serious cash during the offseason to strengthen its roster. And they accomplished their goal. While #24 feels like a reasonable starting point, considering the immense amount of roster turnover, it is hard to believe that everyone in Lubbock will be happy at the end of the season if they don’t finish better.

Can Arizona State (#11) and Indiana (#19) prove that they aren’t one-hit wonders?

The Sun Devils and Hoosiers surprised everyone in 2024, but now they have to prove to everyone that they belong. The coaches seem to have given them the benefit of the doubt for now, but let’s see what happens when the games begin.

This article first appeared on Mike Farrell Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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