AP Top 25 poll reactions: Oklahoma overrated, Clemson underrated in preseason college football rankings

College football’s preseason AP Top 25 poll was released on Monday with several surprises, along with a few teams falling in the overrated and underrated categories. Texas is the preseason No. 1 for the first time in program history, equaling its spot in last week’s Coaches Poll — which also marked a program first.

Texas had been ranked No. 2 in the preseason AP poll on five occasions, including during its 2005 national championship season, but never in the top spot. College football’s 2025 season officially kicks off Aug. 23 when nationally ranked Big 12 foes Iowa State and Kansas State battle in Dublin, Ireland.

Looking back at the last 20 years of preseason AP rankings, the only top-ranked team that won a national championship during that stretch was Alabama in 2017. However, 15 of the remaining 19 national title winners over those two decades came from teams ranked within the preseason top 5.

AP Top 25 poll: Texas makes history as preseason No. 1, Penn State is No. 2 in college football rankings

Will Backus

So, yes, preseason rankings hold merit. In August, the projected elites at the top of the poll tend to shape the playoff conversation as the season matures. That said, voters don’t always nail the rankings during the first time around.

There are a few teams we’ve deemed underrated — or overrated — entering the regular season.

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Source link : https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/ap-top-25-poll-reactions-oklahoma-overrated-clemson-underrated-in-preseason-college-football-rankings/

Author : Brad Crawford

Publish date : 2025-08-11 17:20:00

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