The Related Press preseason ballot was launched Monday, lower than two weeks earlier than the beginning of the 2025 season. Texas was No. 1 for the primary time in class historical past, adopted carefully by Penn State, Ohio State, Clemson and, in fact, Bellyaching U.
Solely this yr, the complaints aren’t restricted to the location of groups. There may be extra griping in regards to the preseason ballot’s existence than ever earlier than, partially due to current developments on the convention degree.
The Massive 12 distributed with its preseason media ballot final month, cautious of the opposed results preseason expectations can have on a group’s trajectory all through the autumn and the desire given to blue blood packages from essentially the most highly effective convention.
That concern was seemingly justified Monday morning.
The Massive Ten positioned six groups within the AP preseason ballot, whereas the SEC had 10 — the primary time in historical past {that a} single convention has hit double-digit illustration.
The SEC positioned three extra groups within the ballot than the Massive 12 (4) and ACC (three) mixed.
The highest-ranked Massive 12 consultant, Arizona State, didn’t crack the highest 10 regardless of returning its finest gamers, quarterback Sam Leavitt and receiver Jordyn Tyson, from a run to the CFP quarterfinals and slender loss to the preseason No. 1 (Texas).
Additionally under-represented within the first AP ballot: a whole swath of the Soccer Bowl Subdivision.
Solely three groups from the western third of the nation cracked the rankings. Oregon, the defending Massive Ten champions, was seventh. The Solar Devils had been No. 11, their highest preseason rating since 1998. And Boise State, which reached the CFP final season, was No. 25.
And that was it, people.
Brigham Younger, Utah, USC, Washington — none of them made the reduce, a doubtlessly ominous signal for the area’s relevance this season. (The Cougars, Utes and Trojans had been within the “others receiving votes” class, together with UNLV and Colorado.)
However the AP isn’t within the enterprise of selling particular person groups, conferences or areas. The ballot, which was first printed in 1936, is meant to mirror the sentiment of 65 media members from throughout the nation who comply with the game carefully.
Very like the position performed by the 40-yard sprint on the NFL Scouting Mix every winter, the AP preseason ballot presents an historic benchmark for judging groups and conferences towards one another and throughout the many years.
It units expectations that are then used to find out whether or not coaches ought to get employed, fired or prolonged.
It creates stars and scapegoats out of gamers who now obtain compensation for his or her efficiency.
And it presents one other beneficial part to the school soccer media equipment.
The preseason ballot and subsequent in-season variations — many critics of the method imagine the AP ought to wait till October earlier than publishing its preliminary rankings — contribute to the programming choices made by TV networks.
Sure, win-loss information matter when ESPN and Fox executives collect every Monday to find out which video games are worthy of primetime home windows and over-the-air broadcast publicity. However the rankings matter, as effectively.
Matchups of top-10 groups are coveted as a result of informal viewers usually tend to tune in for No. 3 vs. No. 8 than they’re for No. 17 vs. an unranked opponent.
The TV home windows influence eyeballs, the eyeballs influence narratives, and the narratives influence downstream choices made by the CFP choice committee (or so it appears).
That mentioned, the AP ballot isn’t tasked with guaranteeing the choice committee makes affordable choices with bids and seeds come the primary Sunday in December.
The ballot is meant to supply followers with an goal evaluation of the game’s hierarchy based mostly on knowledgeable opinion from throughout the nation.
That has been the case for 89 years and doubtless might be for 89 extra.
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Different reactions to the preseason ballot:
— Is the SEC hype justified? Completely not. The convention doesn’t have sufficient confirmed quarterbacks to warrant 10 ranked groups. That’s significantly true of No. 21 Mississippi and No. 24 Tennessee, that are beginning over on the place.
— Essentially the most overrated group? Michigan, which was No. 14 regardless of having a freshman quarterback (Bryce Underwood), a protection gutted by attrition to the NFL and a head coach (Sherrone Moore) whose solely season in cost was a large disappointment.
— For the second consecutive yr Oregon obtained one first-place vote. CollegePollTracker.com recognized the voter as Jamal St. Cyr, who works for WJXT-TV in Jacksonville.
— No. 6 Notre Dame (Impartial) and No. 25 Boise State (Mountain West) are the one groups exterior the Energy 4 conferences to crack the ballot. With the Broncos claiming the ultimate spot, all 12 individuals from the 2024 playoff had been included within the ballot.
— Based on the AP, the share of the first-place votes (38.5 p.c) awarded to Texas was the smallest for the preseason No. 1 group since Georgia in 2008.
The Longhorns and No. 3 Ohio State are set to collide Aug. 30 in Columbus in essentially the most anticipated matchup of the early season.
*** Editor’s be aware: Jon Wilner is an AP voter. His preseason poll will be discovered right here.
*** Ship strategies, feedback and ideas (confidentiality assured) to [email protected] or name 408-920-5716
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