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College football AP preseason poll reactions
Oklahoma Sooners head coach Brent Venables talks to the media during the SEC Media Days at Omni Atlanta Hotel. Jordan Godfree-Imagn Images

College football AP preseason poll reactions: Too high, too low and just right

The AP released its first college football poll for the 2025 season, and for the first time, the Texas Longhorns have opened the season No. 1. 

The two-time College Football Playoff semifinalists have Arch Manning at quarterback, weapons everywhere and what should be a nasty defense.

Penn State is No. 2, followed by Ohio State, Clemson and Georgia. Notre Dame is sixth. Oregon checked in at seventh with Alabama (No. 8), LSU (No. 9) and Miami right behind them.

Preseason polls don't mean much in the end; however, they do help shape the narrative of the season. Looking at the first AP poll of the season, here are the teams that are ranked too high, too low and just right.

Too high: Oklahoma and Penn State 

The Sooners were 6-7 last season. They beat Alabama. Oklahoma also added two of the best players at the transfer portal in QB John Mateer and running back Jayden Ott.

The offensive line should be improved, but 18th is still a big leap, especially since the Sooners aren't ranked in the coaches poll.

Penn State is another team that's ranked higher in the AP poll than it was by the coaches. The Nittany Lions are ranked second, ahead of Ohio State, which seems crazy. 

Penn State might have the better team. Drew Allar is an elite and experienced quarterback. The Nittany Lions have all the pieces, including defensive coordinator Jim Knowles, who left Ohio State for Happy Valley. 

But does anyone believe Penn State can beat the Buckeyes in Columbus? Or anywhere, for that matter? 

It feels like something you need to see to believe after eight consecutive wins by the Buckeyes in the series. 

Just right: Michigan 

No. 14 is the perfect spot for Michigan. The Wolverines have an elite defense, plus a running game that should be resurgent. 

In 2024, without a quarterback, defenses loaded the box. Michigan didn't have an answer, and the offensive line wasn't good enough to overcome it.

Bryce Underwood will cure a lot of that. Michigan beat the national champs last season, on the road, with only 65 passing yards and two interceptions. 

So even if the passing game is average or above-average, this team could be dangerous, although there are still questions about the freshman quarterback, which is why this ranking makes sense. 

Too low: Tennessee, Alabama

The Vols barely cracked the top 25, coming in at 24th after a College Football Playoff berth. Nico Iamaleava transferred to UCLA. The offensive line also has to replace multiple starters, but Joey Aguilar should be better than expected as his replacement.

Josh Heupel is one of the best offensive minds in college football. That's a big reason why the Vols will exceed expectations, even with a difficult schedule.

The coaches' poll has Tennessee 18th. ESPN's SP+ also has the Vols 13th. Those are closer to the right ranking than the AP poll. 

Alabama was a win away from the playoff last season. They lost Jalen Milroe, but former five-star Ty Simpson is expected to be the starter. 

Kalen DeBoer should have the offense rolling, especially with wideout Ryan Williams, who might be the most dynamic player in college football outside of Jeremiah Smith.

The defense should be better, too. ESPN SP+ ranks Alabama second and this team is closer to the top five than the top 10. 

Chris Peterson

Chris is a sports fanatic with 20 years of sports writing experience. His work has been featured on Bleacher Report, FanSided and Yardbarker. He’s covered the NFL, high school sports and everything in between. 

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