Varsity Blues is streaming on Netflix. And if you are a certain age, like this writer, the movie is iconic. So what do Varsity Blues and the AP Poll have in common? Texas high school football? Nope, but that sounds pretty cool too. Not wanting the life of unrealistic parents? Nope. Let’s start with a quote to give you a hint. “I give it a 10. I give it a F***ing 10.” While we cannot confirm that Billy Bob (or Miss Davis) is a voting member of the Associated Press, 10 was the big number in the 2025 AP Preseason Poll.
Last week, the Southeastern Conference locked up nine of the 2025 spots in the Coaches’ Poll. While we won’t debate SEC bias, we’ll save that for Twitter and Reddit. We will take a look at the narratives that are helping shape the start of the college football season in less than two weeks.
Give It a 10! AP Poll Has More SEC Love
Below is the AP Poll conference breakdown, with each team’s Coaches’ Poll ranking noted in parentheses.
Boomer! It Just Means More
- #1 Texas Longhorns (1)
- #5 Georgia Bulldogs (4)
- #8 Alabama Crimson Tide (8)
- #9 LSU Tigers (9)
- #13 South Carolina Gamecocks (13)
- #15 Florida Gators (17)
- #18 Oklahoma Sooners (NR)
- #19 Texas A&M Aggies (21)
- #21 Ole Miss Rebels (16)
- #24 Tennessee Volunteers (18)
Welcome to the party, Oklahoma. The Boomer Sooner preseason love continued in the AP Poll. Some of that glow began to tarnish a bit as reports that new Sooner quarterback John Mateer may have been gambling and using his Venmo. While there is a lot of social media speculation and prosecution going on, Mateer holds the key to Oklahoma and Brent Venables’ success in 2025. This will surely be a story that we will continue to monitor and develop.
Looking at the rest of the poll, Texas again garners the most love, locking out the top spot in the two polls. The Longhorns, Dawgs, Tide, and Tigers all seem to be the frontrunners for the College Football Playoff spots. Ole Miss and Tennessee took a few steps back in the AP Poll.
B1G Three
- #2 Penn State Nittany Lions (3)
- #3 Ohio State Buckeyes (2)
- #7 Oregon Ducks (7)
- #12 Illinois Illini (12)
- #14 Michigan Wolverines (14)
- #20 Indiana Hoosiers (19)
Five points. That is all that separated us from a world where James Franklin and Penn State could have locked up the #1 preseason ranking. Now, there could be an article coming out later this year entitled, “I Was Wrong.” Franklin will have to overcome history, though, for that to happen. He will have a chance to knock off both the Buckeyes and Ducks (at least once) this season and shut us all up. Those three teams also seem most likely to be vying for spots in the College Football Playoff.
Grab Your Tortillas!
- #11 Arizona State (11)
- #17 Kansas State Wildcats (20)
- #22 Iowa State Cyclones (22)
- #23 Texas Tech Red Raiders (24)
Somebody had to go with the SEC, adding another team. BYU (23) was the only team to fall out of the AP Poll. That happens when your quarterback breaks the honor code and transfers to Tulane. A B1G or SEC team may have to travel to Big 12 country for the first round of the Playoff. Whether that is Lubbock or the Little Apple, that will surely be an electric atmosphere and a tough place to win.
ACC! We’re Down to Three
- #4 Clemson Tigers (6)
- #6 Notre Dame Fighting Irish* (5)
- #10 Miami Hurricanes (10)
- #16 SMU Mustangs (16)
Lil ole Clemson and Dabo Swinney found some more media love. The Tigers climbed up two spots. The ACC has actually put itself in a strong position, despite having the fewest teams ranked in the AP Poll. Whether you include Notre Dame or not, we do it for fun and to poke a little bit, the ACC could find three teams in the Playoff. This is also why Tony Pettiti’s model just doesn’t make sense for anyone. Why limit and handicap the number of teams that could be in the playoffs? Miami at 10 is also putting a lot of faith into Mario Cristobal and Carson Beck, who have both shown that they do not always shine when the lights are at their brightest.
G6 Broncos
- #25 Boise State Broncos (25)
Fly like a G6. Boise leads an impressive list of teams that are going to be vying for that final at-large playoff spot. How cool would it be to have a service academy in that spot?
Hey, At Least We Got a Vote!
Here are the teams in the conferences that at least received a vote or two in the AP Poll. Auburn was the lowest SEC team receiving votes. Maybe Hugh Freeze thought they were on the golf course?
- Big 12: BYU, Utah, Baylor, Louisville, TCU, Colorado,
- B1G: USC, Nebraska, Iowa
- ACC: Georgia Tech. Florida State, Duke, Pittsburgh,
- SEC: Missouri, Auburn
- G6: Tulane, UNLV, Toledo, James Madison, Memphis, Liberty, Navy, Army, Louisiana-Lafayette
Main Photo: Brett Patzke-Imagn Images
