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It’s that time of year, college football fans! We are steadily moving from ankle-deep to knee-deep in the waters of talking season with the return of college football right around the corner.
In recent weeks, more and more preseason polls and projections have filtered out with the Preseason AP Top 25 joining the ranks on Monday. Georgia commanded the top spot with the majority of the first-place votes while Ohio State, Oregon and Texas followed in order.
To little surprise, the entire list was dominated by programs from the new versions of the SEC and the Big Ten near the top. We’ll have to wait and see if the 2 power conferences dominate the 12-team College Football Playoff as expected, but the preseason poll points toward that possibility.
Here are some key takeaways from Monday’s poll:
Small cluster of first-place votes
I was not shocked to see Georgia lead the way at No. 1 overall nor Ohio State at No. 2. Those 2 programs lead the latest national championship odds at DraftKings with the Bulldogs listed at +300 and the Buckeyes right behind at +380. (Be sure to find the best offers for the 2024 season with SDS’s real money betting apps.)
However, I was a bit surprised that Georgia and Ohio State generated all but 1 of the available first-place votes. That final vote went to Oregon, but no other team received any.
The biggest surprise in that regard involves Texas. It would be unfair to say that Steve Sarkisian’s Longhorns did not receive any love after checking in at No. 4 but not receiving a first-place vote was noteworthy.
There’s no shame in being No. 4 in the country and No. 2 in the SEC behind Georgia, but I definitely expected the return of Quinn Ewers and some other key pieces and transfer arrivals to earn Texas at least 1 first-place vote.
SEC, Big Ten pave the way
The more things change, the more they stay the same. The SEC is once again the top of the heap with 9 teams ranked inside the AP Top 25, and 4 of those teams are ranked inside the top 10. (Mizzou at No. 11 just missed that cut.)
As for the Big Ten, they placed 6 teams in the top 25 and 4 of them were ranked inside the top 10. That speaks to the elite teams in the Big Ten looking strong this fall but an otherwise lack of elite depth, at least in terms of preseason expectations.
Meanwhile, the Big 12 fared better than the ACC with 5 teams ranked. However, 2 of the 4 ACC teams were ranked inside the top 15 with Florida State giving the ACC a top 10 team to begin the year.
Notre Dame’s path to the Playoff
Notre Dame, unsurprisingly, enters the season in great shape, earning the No. 7 spot on the AP Poll. Granted, the AP Poll is not the CFP Committee, but it’s unlikely the two entities will be miles apart in their final rankings.
Entering the season at No. 7 overall and facing a schedule with games against ranked opponents in Texas A&M, FSU and USC, Marcus Freeman’s program has a great shot at the Playoff. Regardless of how fans feel, it’s hard to envision a scenario where a 10-win Notre Dame team isn’t in serious discussions to make the field of 12. And an 11-win Notre Dame would certainly clinch a bid.
Zero Group of 5 teams included
This is one of the issues with preseason polls. When it comes to projecting regular-season results, the tilt is undoubtedly toward programs from power conferences.
Of the 25 spots on the AP Poll, 24 of them went to Core 4 teams. The final spot went to Notre Dame, and we all know the historic stability and strength of that program.
The first Group of 5 team featured on the preseason poll is Boise State with the Broncos occupying the 3rd slot in the “others receiving votes” section. Liberty, Memphis, UTSA, Tulane and Appalachian State also received votes but were outside the top 25.
Tracking the top-ranked Group of 5 team will carry extra significance this season, so it’s noteworthy no team cracked the AP Top 25 entering the season.
Is the ACC a multi-bid league?
According to the AP Poll, the ACC is going to have a tough time getting 2 programs into the final 12-team field for the Playoff. FSU checks in at No. 10, but that is the only ACC team ranked in the top 13. Clemson was on the fringe at No. 14 overall.
Fans also need to remember it is not just a situation where the 12 highest-ranked teams wind up getting into the CFP. With auto bids involved, the ACC likely needs 2 teams ranked within the top 10 to get 2 teams in the Playoff.
Only 4 ACC teams overall were ranked on the preseason poll, so that could lead to a lack of marquee games to improve the leagues outlook down the stretch.
Paul Harvey lives in Atlanta and covers SEC football.
