These Unranked Preseasons AP Top 25 Teams Could Finish In The Top 10
College football rankings : These Unranked Preseasons AP Top 25 Teams Could Finish In The Top 10. The first preseason AP top 25 college football rankings are out facing plenty of disagreement about who ranked where and who missed out.
Alabama is positioned as the No. 1 team heading into the 2022 kickoff. Ohio State immediately follows. Ohio State is followed by Georgia and ACC fave Clemson.
This was not unanimous, but it was not close either: 54 votes were collected by the Crimson Tide, with six going to the Buckeyes. Three votes went to the defending national champion Bulldogs.
But having a rank is not always important. In 27 of the last 29 seasons, an unranked preseason team ended up inside the top 10.
College football rankings: Teams who got snubbed in the AP top 25 poll
Tennessee (180 votes) – Second-year coach Josh Heupel brings Hendon Hooker back at quarterback to lead the ninth-best offense of college football. But the Vols have to patch up their secondary before going to the SEC schedule.
Texas (164) – The Longhorns received love but not enough to make the top 25 rankings. The team needs massive improvement defensively as it is turning out an inexperienced.
Iowa (163) – A solid defense helped the Hawkeyes in College Football Playoff contention, but this offense is stuck in the mud again. Spencer Petras is back at quarterback but he needs to push the ball downfield a lot more.
Penn State (160) – It is difficult in the Big Ten East, but Sean Clifford provides experience to this team experience at quarterback. He is now working with WKU transfer Mitchell Tinsley at receiver after scoring 14 times a year ago.
LSU (55) – This team’s absence is one of the biggest questions in college football. Brian Kelly has to put together a roster to compete in the SEC West on a weekly basis.
Fresno State (32) – Jake Haener is back at QB to recharge an already productive offense. He is now with Jeff Tedford as head coach at an early game at USC.
Minnesota (31) – Tanner Morgan returns at QB and Mo Ibrahim in the backfield. Both are reunited with Kirk Ciarroca as coordinator to move the Gophers offense.
UCF (27) – Seven AP voters included the Knights in their top 25 polls, with a rank as high as No. 18. But this was not enough to crack the official poll. Some early wins might find this team ranked in the poll in September.
Purdue (17) – David Bell has left, as is Milton Wright apparently over an academic issue. Losing those receivers hurts quarterback Aidan O’Connell, who is one of the Big Ten’s more efficient passers.
Mississippi State (15) – Much of the SEC’s fourth-best defense is back, and so does quarterback Will Rogers in order to pilot the Air Raid offense. But the Bulldogs look at another brutal schedule.
Auburn (15) – There is one voter that put the Tigers in the top 25. This roster is responsible for 6 wins last fall, who already embattled second-year coach Bryan Harsin. This schedule and the team are anything but poll material right now.
Florida (14) – We don’t know much about Billy Napier’s team, but a Week 1 opener against Utah at home will tell us more about the Gators’ defensive situation and what they really have at quarterback with Anthony Richardson back.
Kansas State (14) – Deuce Vaughn has been good for some highlight plays on the ground. He has transferred Adrian Martinez at quarterback as a dual-threat option moving downfield.
North Carolina (9) –Sam Howell is absent, as are four O-line starters. But the Heels have managed to recruit well defensively. They have Gene Chizik back coordinating, and possess a stellar receiver room to work with.
Boise State (5) – Andy Avalos and his staff enter Year 2 and are looking at three road games in the first month. They are trying to throw the Broncos’ season off course early.
Air Force (4) – This team was a 10-win team that placed second in the Mountain Division a year ago. They defeated Louisville in a bowl game to cap it all off.
App State (4) – This team was one of the most solid Group of 5 programs in the last several years. It included a win over North Carolina in 2019. The Mountaineers are preparing to debut new faces at quarterback, running back, and offensive line.
South Carolina (2) – Shane Beamer was greater than expectations in Year 1. He has Spencer Rattler driving the Gamecocks’ offense in order to throw some punches in the SEC East. But the team has a very tough early schedule: Arkansas in Week 2 and Georgia in Week 3.
UCLA (2) – There was not much love for Chip Kelly’s bunch despite winning eight games last fall. They return two of college football’s most intriguing playmakers: quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson and tailback Zach Charbonnet.
San Diego State (2) – This team was a 12-win team a year ago. The team returns some very solid offensive pieces, especially up front and in the backfield. It brings back a defense that was successful in posting top 20 marks in college football in total defense and scoring defense.
Utah State (2) – A breakout debut season for coach Blake Anderson, who won 11 games. The Mountain West defeated Oregon State in the bowl and finished in the final top 25 college football rankings.
Nebraska (1) – A single vote of confidence for the Cornhuskers, who lost all nine games by single digits in 2021. But the Cornhuskers should have a more aggressive offense, coordinated by Mark Whipple and quarterbacked by Casey Thompson. Thompson led the Big 12 in passing TDs at Texas in 2021.
AP Top 25 College Football Rankings
Alabama
Ohio State
Georgia
Clemson
Notre Dame
Texas A&M
Utah
Michigan
Oklahoma
Baylor
Oregon
Oklahoma State
NC State
USC
Michigan State
Miami
Pittsburgh
Wisconsin
Arkansas
Kentucky
Ole Miss
Wake Forest
Cincinnati
Houston
BYU