Weekly Syllabus: AP preseason top 25 poll, QB competitions head into home stretch

The Weekly Syllabus returns with a look at the Associated Press preseason top 25 college football poll, reminiscing about the good old days for Tennessee women's basketball and the state of quarterback competitions in the SEC.

Below are five of the week's most notable stories in college athletics.

College football preseason AP Poll

The AP published its preseason top 25 poll on Monday, and it offered minor changes to the USA Today Coaches Poll released earlier, with No. 1 Ohio State Buckeyes, No. 2 Oregon Ducks and No. 3 Georgia Bulldogs unchanged. The No. 11 LSU Tigers and No. 17  Washington Huskies are two spots higher, while the No. 13 Alabama Crimson Tide and No. 20 Tennessee Volunteers are ranked two spots lower.

Arguably most notably, the Clemson Tigers are unranked in the preseason poll for the first time since 2011, Dabo Swinney's third year as head coach. That season was the first of 12 consecutive 10-win seasons, sparking Clemson's turnaround from perennial underachiever to national power. Among more positive storylines, the No. 19 SMU Mustangs made consecutive preseason top-25 appearances for the first time since a four-year span from 1982-85, while the No. 23 Houston Cougars received only their third preseason top-25 placement since 1992 and first since joining the Big 12 in 2023.

Gonzaga head coach, Tennessee WBB legends honored at Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame induction ceremony

Gonzaga men's basketball coach Mark Few and former Tennessee Volunteers' women's basketball legends Chamique Holdsclaw and Candace Parker were among those enshrined on Saturday as part of the 2026 Hall of Fame class.

Few becomes one of five Division-I coaches entering the 2026-27 season in the Hall, joining Rick Pitino, Bill Self, Tom Izzo and John Calipari. Unlike his peers who have combined for six national titles, Few has yet to cut down the nets at the end of the season. Perhaps the HOF nod could be the start of a breakthrough.

Holdsclaw and Parker, meanwhile, combined for five titles at Tennessee, with Holdsclaw twice being named AP Player of the Year (1998, 1999) and Parker earning the Wooden Award (2007) and AP POY honors (2008) during two iconic franchise runs. The dual inductions couldn't come at a more prescient time for the Vols women's basketball program, which is coming off the worst season in program history. It could be what Tennessee needs to remember what it once was and what it could be again.

Miami dismisses wide receiver before start of the season

Miami Hurricanes wide receiver Cam Vaughn, who joined during the offseason via the transfer portal, has been dismissed from the team, per ESPN's Andrea Adelson.

"There comes a time where decisions have to be made," Cristobal explained to reporters. "You make moves strictly for the betterment of the team. That's why they're made."

Vaughn finished 2025 with 35 receptions, 541 yards and four touchdowns at West Virginia, putting him in line for a potentially important role with the Canes. Fellow transfers Cooper Barkate and Vandrevius Jacobs give Miami two other plug-and-play options, while rising sophomore Malachi Toney, who had 1,211 receiving yards as a freshman, is unlikely to slow down with another year of experience. Even with the loss, Miami should be fine.

Michigan announces 2026 team captains

The Michigan Wolverines revealed their captains for the 2026 season, and sophomore quarterback Bryce Underwood was one of four players selected along with running back Jordan Marshall, defensive tackle Trey Pierce and safety Rod Moore.

The five-star high-school recruit's freshman year ended on a low as he struggled in losses to Ohio State and Texas, but his teammates appear confident he's the right quarterback to lead the program back into the playoff hunt.