OXFORD — This sort of feels like my first day of elementary school. Allow me to explain.
I’m a lifelong college football junkie. Like many of you, I’ve spent the better part of the last few weeks of my free time playing EA College Football 25. Even when I’m not working, I’m literally still in the college football weeds; I simply cannot get enough of it.
This offseason, I was approached by the Associated Press about being a Top-25 voter. My head was spinning.
Me? They asked me?
Every day I get to write about college football is a blessing. I don’t take my career for granted, and I hopefully never will. This job is a privilege, and I’ve always found that when you look at things from that perspective, you appreciate it all the more. To be an AP voter is an honor, and one that I will take just as seriously as everything else I do. I never do things just to do them; there’s always a lot of thought that goes into my day-to-day existence — a blessing and a curse, to be sure. I’m certainly not perfect, but if nothing else, I’m well researched and come to the party with all the information at-hand.
So here I am, on my first day at AP Poll Elementary School. I just walked by a bunch of older kids who have been doing this a lot longer than I have. But I’ve been told I belong here, and I’m going to make the most of it.
Here is my preseason Top 25 and why I ranked teams where I did. I will be writing a column like this before the poll is released each week during the season. Voters will likely be proven wrong as the year unfolds — college football has a funny way of making us all look like idiots at times — but as of right now, here’s how it stacks up for me. It will all work itself out on the field. Let’s have fun this season and enjoy the new 12-team College Football Playoff.
- Georgia
- Ohio State
- Oregon
- Texas
- Ole Miss
- Alabama
- Michigan
- Notre Dame
- Missouri
- Penn State
- Florida State
- LSU
- Oklahoma
- Tennessee
- Utah
- Clemson
- Kansas State
- Texas A&M
- Oklahoma State
- Kansas
- Miami
- NC State
- Arizona
- USC
- Louisville
My Top 10
My No. 1 team is Georgia — bold, I know — but Ohio State isn’t far behind for me. I’m choosing Georgia because they’ve won two of the last three national titles, have a likely first-round pick returning at quarterback in Carson Beck and have elite talent at literally every level on both sides of the ball. Ohio State reloaded its roster through the transfer portal and brought in quarterback Will Howard, running back Quinshon Judkins and safety Caleb Downs, among others. But until I see those pieces click in an actual game, Georgia is the safer bet.
Oregon is right there with Georgia and Ohio State, but as was the case for the Buckeyes, a lot of their projection is based on star transfers who haven’t played a game yet for their new team. But it’s not hard to see a Dillon Gabriel-led offense putting up absurd numbers and the Ducks’ defense being one of the nation’s best. Texas was just in the four-team College Football Playoff, taking Washington to the brink before ultimate falling. Quarterback Quinn Ewers is back, but the Longhorns lost some elite talent in last year’s NFL Draft, particularly at receiver. Texas reloaded through the portal as well, but replacing Xavier Worthy and AD Mitchell is easier said than done.
Ole Miss is ranked just ahead of Alabama because I think I know what I’m getting: the Rebels are coming off an 11-2 season under head coach Lane Kiffin, return most of their stars and added the best transfer portal class in the nation. Alabama is littered with elite talent as always, but Kalen DeBoer now roams the sidelines rather than Nick Saban. It’s unfair to expect a national title in the first year of a new regime, but here we are. Defending national champion Michigan has a new coach and a new quarterback; the Wolverines are talented and could make another run, but there’s a lot of unknowns as of now. Notre Dame, Missouri and Penn State round out my top-10. Notre Dame should be lethal with quarterback Riley Leonard and an elite defense. Missouri returns quarterback Brady Cook and wide receiver Luther Burden III but must replace All-American running back Cody Schrader and defensive coordinator Blake Baker, who is now at LSU. Penn State is always good, but is this the year the Nittany Lions take a step forward?
The rest of the rest
Florida State has a chance to move up these rankings fairly quickly if quarterback DJ Uiagalelei hits the ground running as starting quarterback and if the Seminoles can replace a few key defenders, including edge rusher Jared Verse. LSU’s offense will look different without Jayden Daniels, but Garrett Nussmeier should do just fine. How the defense improves under Baker might be the defining factor in the Tigers’ season. I probably like Oklahoma a bit more than most, but I think there’s a lot of explosive potential with Jackson Arnold under center. The SEC isn’t forgiving, though, so how quickly the Sooners adjust to the grind will be telling. Tennessee’s season, at least for me, hinges on quarterback Nico Iamaleava. If he’s as good as people think, Tennessee might move up these rankings rapidly, too.
Now it’s time to talk about the new-look Big 12, which takes up a lot of the back half of my poll.
Utah is in the conference now, and quarterback Cam Rising is back for what seems like his 20th season as quarterback. The Utes should be great as always defensively, and with Rising healthy after missing all of last season, that offense should be potent and have them at the front of the Big 12 race with Kansas State, Oklahoma State, Kansas and fellow newcomer Arizona. Arizona has a new coach, but quarterback Noah Fifita and receiver Tetairoa McMillan are as good as it gets. Kansas State quarterback Avery Johnson is an electric dual threat, and head coach Chris Klieman knows how to get the most out of his teams. Kansas quarterback Jalon Daniels is elite when healthy, and Lance Leipold has the Jayhawks in as good a spot as they’ve been in a long time. Oklahoma State has star running back Ollie Gordon, and Mike Gundy just knows how to win in Stillwater. You could probably talk me into any one of these teams winning the Big 12.
This feels like a big year for Clemson, who failed to hit double-digit wins for the first time since 2010. Quarterback Cade Klubnik is back, but he didn’t flourish under offensive coordinator Garrett Riley like many expected last year. The offense taking a step forward might tell the Tigers’ season. The talent is there, but until the production takes off, No. 16 feels fair. Texas A&M isn’t here because of last year — their 7-6 season wasn’t particularly inspired — but new head coach Mike Elko has things looking up in College Station, Texas.
A few ACC schools are in the bottom of my Top 25 — Miami, NC State and Louisville. Miami has a chance to move way up if quarterback Cam Ward and running back Damien Martinez are as good as advertised. The Wolfpack are coming off a 9-4 season, and the addition of Coastal Carolina quarterback Grayson McCall seems like a major plus. Despite losing its last three games in 2023, Louisville should be solid again in its second year under Jeff Brohm, especially if transfer quarterback Tyler Shough can remain healthy. USC doesn’t have quarterback Caleb Williams anymore and enters a brutal Big Ten, but Lincoln Riley tends to figure things out at quarterback. How much better the defense gets under new defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn — the Trojans ranked 118th nationally in scoring defense last year — will likely be the key.
Michael Katz covers Ole Miss athletics for the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal.
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Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 36 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
