REACTING To The New College Football Rankings | AP Poll Top 25 College Football Rankings

welcome back to another episode of rock boys football we get the first AP Top 25 PLL getting released and this is the Pinnacle of being a college football fan where we get to get up here and just get worked up about a preseason rankings that was made by Sports writers that know just as much as us about college football with knowing dang well that all these games are going to get played in a couple of Saturdays in the fall but we're still going to get worked up about it talk about some teams that I think got left out of this top 25 that I fully expect to be in the top 25 come the end of November talk about some teams that I think are red too low talk about some teams that I think I think our rank too high really excited to get into this conversation kind of take a bird's eye approach to the landscape of college football now before we get into it would love to hear you guys in the comments section I know every single college football fan that's listening to this has some sort of team that they think's being slept on would love to hear from you guys in the comment section whether you agree with some of my takes whether you disagree that's the beauty of the sport of college football so we' love to hear from you guys in the comment section if yall do enjoy the content consider subscribing to the channel the amount of support y'all have shown in the offseason been it's been absolutely amazing we appreciate you guys and without further Ado let's get into this one and let's start with some teams that you know I think are not in this top 25 that I think will certainly be in the top 25 come the end of November I'm going to start with a program I've been banging table for pretty much all off season that is the Auburn Tigers now you look at this Auburn team in 2023 it is no secret that they struggled on the offensive side of the football what not enough people are recognizing at least in my opinion is on the surface level you see pton Thorne coming back for 2024 and just kind of right off this Auburn program there are some reasons that I think this Auburn offense takes some massive steps in 2024 one is pton Thorne just getting better in this Auburn off offense I think it's important to realize that you know pton Thorne was not with this Auburn program last year during the Spring I mean he came in in the summer went through a quarterback battle not getting a ton of reps with the ones and kind of was just thrusted out there in the 2023 season and you saw some growing pains in terms of Auburn trying to figure out what makes Payton Thorne most comfortable in the offense but I think more importantly this Auburn offense last year just lacked Playmakers on the outside it was for my money one of the worst wide receiving rooms that you saw in the SEC if not the worst you take a look and kind of fast forward to where we sit heading into 2024 one Payton Thorne getting a full off season within this Auburn offense Hugh free this offensive staff just getting a little bit more comfortable in terms of how we want to use pton Thorne the things that we want to ask pton Thorne to do that relationship I think matters a lot more than people give him credit you know what I mean in terms of the offensive coordinator understanding the offensive play Carl the offensive staff understanding hey what makes pton Thorne the most comfortable what plays and what schemes and what packages can we go to that pton Thor is gonna have the most success with I think you're going to see a massive Improvement in terms of that but I think more importantly just the talent around Payton Thorne is significantly better than it was in 2023 where you go back to 2023 the leading pass catcher for this Auburn program was tight end revaldo Fairweather a tight end that I'm a massive massive fan of that being said it tells that the wide receiver production the wide receiver play just wasn't nearly good enough in the 2023 season you fast for to where this roster sits heading into 2024 and say you're bringing Keandre Lambert Smith from Penn State legitimate wide receiver one you add a true freshman in cam Coleman who sounds like he might be the wide receiver one with this Auburn offense you got two legitimate difference makers on the outside whereas in 2023 he had zero you also have a guy like Robert Lewis you have a couple young freshman and Bryce kanes Malcolm Simmons Perry Thompson this team around pton Thorne is significantly more talented on offense than it was last year and I'd remind everybody that when we saw pton Thorne get surrounded by some legitimate Talent back to at Michigan State with guys like Jaden Reed Keon Coleman he won 11 football games for Michigan State pton Thor's quarterback that I think you can win football games with if you surround him with talent I think they've done that heading into 2024 give me the Auburn Tigers as a team that works their way into the top 25 the next team I want to shout out Virginia Tech this Virginia Tech Team I'm buying stocking you look at all the things that I think are working for Virginia Tech 1 it's going year three under Bren Pride I think that's massive storyline in terms of within that Virginia Tech program you can kind of feel the culture kind of changing Brent pry kind of grabbing command of this program but I think more importantly in the era of the transfer portal you don't have a ton of returning production in continuity with lot of these programs for Virginia Tech they're pretty much running back they're team from 2023 in 2024 a team that started to find its Rhythm at the end of 2023 and I think they have a quarterback in Kyon drones who can be one of the most is one of the most talented quarterbacks in the ACC and has the capability of being one of the better quarterbacks in the conference in a very similar conversation that we had just had with pton Thorne you look at Kyon Jones he was the quarterback too heading into 2023 took over this offense I think there were some growing pains in terms of how we want to use Kyon drones in this offense towards the end of 2023 Virginia Tech started to understand how they wanted to use Kyon drones that rushing attack really took a step I I look at Virginia Tech and say you return pretty much the whole roster from 2023 is team you're going year three under Brent pry you got a quarterback that we expect to take a step in 2024 season gim me Virginia Tech is a team that's going to be extremely salty in this 20 24 season and the last team I want to shout out another ACC team the Louisville Cardinals I think the big conversation is Tyler shuck if you get a healthy Tyler shuck that is not enough people are talking about the upgrade that you're getting from Tyler shuck to Jack or Jack plumber to Tyler shuck I mean Jack plumber was a below average quarterback in the ACC and this Louisville team still played for an ACC Championship if you get a healthy Tyler Shu for 12 games which is a big asteris caveat right Tyler shuck has not played a healthy season in his college football career if you get Tyler shuck healthy for 12 games this Louisville team takes a massive step in the right direction they added a ton of talent in the transfer portal I truly think coach braah is one of the better coaches in the country in terms of maximizing Talent designing an offense give me Virginia Tech Louisville and Auburn as two or three teams excuse me that I think finish in the top 25 now you get into some teams that we see in the top 25 that I think are still a little bit too low I want to start with the Miami Hurricanes coming in at 19 and I think even Miami fans probably look at that ranking and say we're not going to argue with it too much right we've been a team that has talent but hasn't been able to put it together from a pure roster standpoint this Miami Hurricanes team rivals just about any team in the country in terms of talent I think it's a top 10 team in terms of Talent on paper now the question is can they take that Talent on paper and Implement and have it show up on Saturdays in the fall that's the question what makes me feel that Miami can do that that in the 2024 season it obviously starts with quarterback cam Ward who look cam Ward is just a massive upgrade in terms of the quarterback play that they had not only last year but the last couple of years I think having a quarterback that elevates your roster as opposed to a quarterback that you have to figure out how to win with that's a massive storyline for Miami but I think more importantly in the conversation that not enough people are having around this Miami Hurricanes program is they are in my opinion a lead along the line of SC I think that's one of the better front sevens that you're going to see on the defensive side of the football I think it's an elite offensive line if you have line of scrimmage play that can control the point of attack you can kind of have games go your way and so not only does Miami have the quarterback play that I think makes him significantly better unquestionably better than they were in 2023 I think they have the line of scrimmage play to bang with teams that are some of the best teams in the country and I think that's kind of what separates me with my Miami as opposed to the last couple years a very similar conversation that we had with Texas last year 12 months ago why were we believing in Texas last year because of the line of scrimmage I mean you look at Texas prior to that 2023 season it was a team that underperformed had some talent but never really put it on the football field what made Texas just kind of feel different heading into 2023 was the line of scrimmage play both on the offense and defensive line and we saw that kind of come to fruition in that 2023 season I think it's a very similar conversation to have with this Miami Hurricanes program now getting to a few other teams that I think might be a little bit too low I think Texas A&M at 20 again it's a fair ranking we've seen Texas A&M have talented teams and just not be able to put it together one I'm a Believer in Mike ELO but number two I think again that front seven specifically that defensive line is a top five unit in the country when you have a defensive line that's as good as Texas A&M that's the recipe in terms of having an elite defense in the college football landscape you think of Georgia the last couple years Michigan in 2023 when you have a defensive line that can stop the run on first and second down get after the passer on third down it makes a defense so much easier to run you bring in coach KH Klein on the offensive side of the football I think Conor wigman is one of the more underrated quarterbacks really in the country heading into 2024 if you get a healthy Conor wigman this Texas A&M offense takes a massive step from where it was in 2023 so those are two teams that I'm kind of believing in heading into 2024 that I think probably finish higher than what you see in the rankings I'd maybe throwing USC as and again that's kind of a similar conversation I think a lot of USC fans are saying all right 23 is fair we obviously had a a tough season 2023 we need to show that we have a defense that can win football games in the Big 10 that being said you look at USC in the landscape of the Big 10 I where is Miller Moss rank in terms of quarterback rankings in the Big 10 heading in the 2024 I would argue that you might get a top five top three quarterback in the big time from Miller moss and if you have leag quarterback playing the Big 10 a conference that I think it's a really good conference right there's a reason that Ohio State Oregon Michigan Penn State are all in the top 10 there's not a ton of great quarterback play in the Big 10 if Miller Moss can emerge as one of the better quarterbacks in that conference and that defense takes a step with d Lynn you're looking at a really dangerous team in the Big 10 for USC and what my kind of last pitch on USC would be we just saw Dan Lynn completely revolutionize the defense for UCLA in 20123 why can't he do that with arguably a more talented team on defense in 2024 I mean Dan Lyn immediately change that UCLA defense why can't he do it for USC in 2024 that is probably the question that I would ask a lot of you guys who might be sleeping on USC now some teams that I think might be too high I'm going to go to Arizona at 21 I I Arizona's tough right because you look at Noah ffid and T-Mac and say that's one of if not the best quarterback wide receiver battery that we see in all of college football that being said what does this team look like outside of those two players I think there are some leg legitimate questions in terms of line of scrimmage play for this Arizona team and we kind of all know we kind of saw it with Colorado last year you can have a really good quarterback you can have some really Dynamic wide receivers but if you cannot get it done along the line line of scrimmage it's really hard to consistently win football games in a college football season I have significant question marks about Arizona along the line of scrimmage and again I'm a Believer and Noah ffid and Tac I think they're two of the better players in all of college football but outside of that you kind of do have some significant questions about line of scrimmage play now going all the way up to the top and let's kind of just go through this and you know talk about some teams that I think might be ranked too high or low Georgia number one I don't think anybody's getting up here in questioning that Ohio State and Oregon are my two and three teams now it kind of depends on when I wake up we're going to get that game October 12th and so I don't think it's worth really diving into who we think is Ohio State Oregon two and three I think clearly and then we're going to figure out who's the number two team in the country on October 12th you get Texas at number four no arguments there I think there's a pretty clear top four teams in the country in terms of complete rosters heading into 2024 those are your top four teams now where things get a little bit hairy for me is Alabama Miss Notre Dame Penn State Michigan Florida State how do you kind of how do you kind of Stack those next couple teams between five and 15 because I think there's legitimate kind of arguments for a lot of those teams Alabama still a very very talented team and Coach kayin deor is a very very good coach and so it's kind of hard to doubt Alabama even without Nick Sabin heading into 2024 I love Old Miss at six I I'm a Believer in Old Miss in kind of a very similar conversation to why I'm a Believer in Miami where I think Jackson Dart is a legitimate top quarterback in the country I think they have a very Dynamic wide receivers on the outside but specifically why is Old Miss A team that I'm buying stock and heading into 2024 is because the line of scrimmage play this is the best line of scrimmage play we'll see Miss have since Lane kein Ben in Oxford Mississippi and that matters you talk about the you know why ol Miss has failed to kind of crack the upper echelon of the SEC during Lane kein 10 year it's largely had to do with the line of scrimmage and I would remind people that Old Miss was 11-2 last year with their only two losses on the road to Georgia on the road to Alabama this was a team that was I think kind of got slept on in the 2023 season I think they get better in the transfer portal they return a ton of talent from that roster and give me all the stock that we have in all Miss Notre Dame at 7 I'd probably be a little lower on Notre Dame than the seventh best team in the country with with the injury excuse me from Charles jagas saww at the left tackle spot we already had question marks about Notre Dame replacing two NFL tackles one of which was in my opinion the best tackle in the country and Joe Al now the guy that you kind of thought was going to take over the left tackle spot is going to miss the season in 2024 with a pectoral injury I like Notre Dams team I think it's a top five defense in the country I'm a Believer in Riley Leonard but again line of scrimmage play specifically at that offensive tackle spot that's a that's kind of putting out red Sirens to me like if a team is in the top 10 but has question marks at the tackle position that is alarming for me having Notre Dame at seven Penn State at eight I think is one of the more fascinating teams in the Country Coach codal Nikki that's probably the biggest storyline for Penn State we know they're going to be very good on defense they have a talented quarterback and Drew Aller but can this Penn State offense be more explosive in the 2024 season can Coach Cal Nikki bring that out of them because if he does and we see a Penn State offense that is significantly more explosive than what we saw in 2023 that's been this thing that's been holding Penn State back in those big games against Michigan and Ohio State if we get that version of Penn State coach C Nikki I think is one of the better offensive coordinators in the country this Penn State team is going to be really dangerous Michigan coming in at number nine you guys know I'm a Michigan fan I think that is probably a fair ranking what I would say for Michigan is their recipe to winning football games I think is still very much prevalent to the 2024 season where they're going to run the football lot with a talented backfield an offensive line that I think people are sleeping on it's a lot of new faces but a lot of guys that have been within this program guys that probably would have started on a lot of other offensive lines that you saw in the country last year they're going to run the football they're GNA play really good defense this Michigan team is going to be a very tough out on Saturdays but you do have some question marks about this roster obviously at the quarterback position being number one Florida State at 10 not going to see too much argument for me again kind of a similar conversation with Michigan where you lose a lot of guys to the NFL but there are still players on this roster that we believe in Missouri I'm a Believer in I think they have a very getable schedule but again I think one you know Brady cook and Luther buron get all the attention that offensive line is going to be one of the better units in the SEC that's what not enough people are talking about with Missouri and you talk about kind of a similar conversation we had with Old Miss what kind of prevents a lot of SEC teams from reaching that top level in the SEC it's line of scrimmage play I think Missouri specifically on the offensive line it has the guys to kind of break through and be one of the better teams in the SEC Utah 12 obviously cam risen coming back oh if they stay healthy that's going to be a team that's really tough to be in the Big 12 I think it comes down to Utah and Kansas State LSU at 13 similar conversation with USC we think the offense is going to be good Garrett not SM they got some more Talent at wide receiver I think a lot of people probably don't appreciate the talent that LSU has a wide receiver heading into 2024 I'm personally a believer in the LSU offense now the question is can Blake Baker let this LSU defense improve and how much do they improve is probably the question you have for LSU Clemson at 14 is a very sneaky team I I think it might be higher on Clemson than 14 I think they have a very very good defense then you look at the offense and say that's kind of determines where you put Clemson in your top 20 I'm personally a believer in k club and Clemson's offense not being the best offense in the country but kind of similar to Auburn where this team has a really solid offensive line I think I think the wide receivers going into year two of Garett Riley scheme I think the wide receiver talent's much better I think you're going year two into Garrett Riley's offense with k kumnick at quarterback there are reasons to believe similar to the reasons with auburn and pton Thorne that this offense gets better Tennessee at 15 Josh hyp is gonna have good offense with niai I think that Tennessee's defense is going to be very very good that's another one of those teams that could be a top 10 team in the country come the end of the season Oklahoma at 16 really good defense I think this year question marks on the offensive line that's probably the one thing that's preventing me from putting Oklahoma up higher and if we see that Oklahoma offensive line come together in 2024 I think that team's also going to be very dangerous I expect another significant jump from Oklahoma on the defensive side of the football the the big thing that's kind of keeping me from putting Oklahoma in the top 10 is you're going into the SEC with trying to figure out this offensive line continually in Fall camp with the Young quarterback and Jackson Arnold they have the talent on the outside if this Oklahoma offensive line can come together and we get the best version of Jackson Arnold that Oklahoma team is going to be dangerous Oklahoma State I'm lower on I think Oklahoma State got and I get they return a lot of production from a very quality team in 2023 I just the more I watched Oklahoma State during that 2023 year I go back and do some prep on them I'm not sure if they were as good as what kind of the rankings had them in the 2023 season that being said coach cundy's a hard coach to count out Kansas State I would have over Oklahoma State I think Kansas state with Avery Jones and the talent that they have Avery Jones is the best quarterback we've seen at Kansas State in quite a long time and Kansas State's always been a very solid team a Jones kind of pushed out will Howard I think that tells you what this Kansas State team thinks of Avery Jones and I think the question I would have is we know this Kansas State team is going to be damn solid every single year now they have in my opinion a legitimate Difference Maker at the quarterback spot what does this Kansas State team look like we talked about Miami Texas A&M Arizona Kansas when you have Jaylen Daniels and all that production on offense returning this is going to be an offense that scores points I think coach lepold has consistent ly improveed the overall roster of this team my big question mark is coach C Nikki heading over to Penn State does this Kansas offense look the same from what we saw in 2023 and 2022 that's the question I have obviously Jaylen Daniel staying healthy NC State straight up believer in I think they could be a better team than 24th in the country this is a team that again kind of similar to a team like Auburn I think got better where they needed to get better we know that NC State defense is going to be extremely difficult to deal with you look on the offense that was where their struggles came they still won eight football games in the 2023 season with a quarterback that is flat out stunk last year in Brenan Armstrong they were kind of juggling him and MJ Morris they only had Kevin concepion as a Difference Maker on offense now you look and say all right we get Kevin concepion back we add Noah Rogers we add a couple of talented true freshman we add Wesley Grimes Justin Jolie Jordan Waters in the backfield this team is significantly better on the offensive side of the football and if we just kind trust NC State to hold serve on defense which they've done for the last five to 10 years with Dave Doran and this offense takes a massive step in the right direction which I think is certainly a possibility that's a really dangerous NC State team I'll say this I think this is the most talented NC State team we've seen under Dave Dorne that's a scary proposition for the rest of the ACC 25 coming in with Iowa I think they're too high I I look at Iowa and say you read the scrimmage reps from Kate mcnamer on Saturday and say he won what seven of 20 21 for 20 yards two picks I is this Iowa offense even take a marginal step this scham can be really dangerous I think it's going to be one of the best defenses that we see in the country that being said I think they have benefited to playing Big 10 West teams consistently what happens when they have to play teams that can move the football a little bit more consistently on offense can they keep up in terms of the scoring I'm a little lower on Iowa I'm not necessarily a believer in the quarterback position and I think I think yes I think you obviously get better with the offensive coordinator situation that being said I just am not a believer in the talent of Iowa on the offensive side of the football that defense is going to be good but look Brian fren was clearly not a good offensive coordinator there's no arguing that it was a bottom tier offense every single year for the last couple that being said I don't think it was only the offensive coordinator I mean they do not recruit the offensive side of the football nearly good enough to put up a lot of points in the Big 10 so I don't know if that's going to change just because you switch an offensive coordinator we'll see though again that that team consistently wins games really good defense I just have question marks about the Iowa Hawke guys we'll cut it there appreciate you guys rocking with the fellas again would love to hear from you guys in the comment section if you agree with my takes if you disagree I'm kind of going to shoot a straight with you guys appreciate y'all rocking with it if you guys do enjoy the content consider subscribing to the channel appreciate you guys and we'll talk to you all later