AP Top 25 preseason poll rankings analysis: Georgia and Ohio State on top for this reason

the AP preseason rankings poll is out and we got to talk about it I want to start with saying a lot of this you're going to find on my 134 which you can read at foxsports.com I ranked all 134 teams it is meaty it is robust it is over 15,000 words it is the ultimate college football ranking and the top 25 is the most important part of that ranking and I will continue to rank the top 25 teams in football for the entire season going into offseason as you very well know but I wanted to start by talking about just what the AP has here and what I like and what I don't like so they got Georgia and Ohio State at one and two respectively I have those two flipped the coach's poll also has Georgia Ohio State at one and two I'm not really that concerned about it because I think we all agree that that's the national championship game that we probably want to see the most I think we think the same about Oregon and Texas basically identical there with Oregon at and Texas or Oregon at four uh excuse me Oregon at three and Texas at 4 I got those flipped right I think that we're talking about the SEC and Big 10 championships respectively and then it gets to be a little bit interesting at five why is kayin dbor getting the Alabama uh Nick Sabin bounce right not the Alabama bounce but the Nick Sabin bounce I have a couple of reasons that I think this is true a we tend to think that Excellence remains at Alabama because of the pedigree of coach that they hired and how much Nick sain believes in kayln dor he had a lot to say about who was going to succeed him as it is well the most significant retirement in college football in the 21st century for me and then we have to talk about kayin deor being one of the most successful head coaches in all of college football because that man has won over 100 games and he's lost just 12 like he's wased the equivalent of an entire regular season over the course of his career that's going on uh 20 years years plus I think having Alabama at five is fine it's fine I don't hardly disagree with it I think they're a top 10 team I just don't think they're a top five team I think that Jaylen milro is got the highest ceiling of any of the quarterbacks in college football but it is a man that still needs to learn how to throw the football in intermediate routes and they're replacing a lot at wide receiver well not even replacing a lot they haven't had a lot at wide receiver Isaiah Bond was the best pass catcher at Alabama last year he had just 668 receiving yards on 46 or 48 catches you need more you you need more production if Jeremy Bernard is your number one I need that guy to be radun for Washington last year and Jaylen milro to come be Michael pennick Jr right like I I think you're going to need that kind of output from Alabama if you expect to contend for a top five spot I also think that we are really all in on a new coaching staff and Kane wack as defensive coordinator and Nick Sheran as offensive coordinator and then you're adding guys that I think they're great on defense like deanii Jackson to uh a group that is led by Malachi Moore on the back end and you get Kaden Proctor back but again a top five program I'm just not sold on that with Alabama right now there's time and I think they're going to get a really great opportunity to show that with going to Camp Randall to play Wisconsin take a bye and then you get Georgia and then you get to prove this right so that could be one versus five if the season plays out the way that we think it will play out uh I also think Texas being at number four here is really saying a lot about what we think about everybody uh returning to Texas Steve sarkeesian Pete kakowski Quinn yers yes they lost CJ Baxter but they have a lot of depth at tail back Trey Weisner I think is going to be the guy to break out in that backfield as we know that Jaden blue is allp speed all the time on the outside you're G to have guys like jontay cook which I think is great Silas Balton Isaiah Bond Amari nlack in the uh at tight end and then you got better on the defensive line with Trey Moore coming from UTSA Ethan Burke on the other side of that we'll just see if they're better in pass defense I think as we get down here they're higher on Notre Dame than I am I think Notre Dame is a top 25 team I just I'm not sold on number seven the reason is kind of the same thing with Alabama you have a new offensive coordinator a new quarterback now I think Notre Dame is getting the benefit of us knowing that Riley Leonard is a baller and that Mike Den Brock coordinated the best scoring offense in the country last year and the Heisman Trophy winner and Jaden Daniels LSU last year if Mike Den Brock can sprinkle whatever salt he put on Jaden Daniels last year on Riley Leonard I'm all here for it but the fact is Sam Hartman showed up as the acc's all-time leader in touchdown passes and he couldn't get Notre Dame to where they wanted to go which is to a national championship right they lost that game to Ohio State but and then they lost to Louisville so for so on I think they got a big one against the team that's ranked number 10 here in Florida State in November 9th right I think that that's a top five program they think it's top 10 program basically I got Alabama at 9 they got Alabama at five I got Florida State at five they got him at 10 Mike Norvell has his program right where he wants it okay they added a five-star talent in DJ oui angal they need him to play like a five-star Talent they need to get production from all these new pieces that they got feels like they got half of Alabama's uh roster over there guys that decided not to return to Alabama uh including woodell Williams Terrence Ferguson and we're going down the line here you got F trell Cyprus on defense you got Patrick Payton on defense and you've got a schedule that sets up to where you can show up and show out and probably go back and win the ACC title remember this is team that went 13 and0 until they lost well they they went 12-0 lost the starting quarterback right and then managed to beat Louisville for the ACC Championship I think Florida state is a very good football team at 11 and and 12 Missouri Utah two teams that could make the college football playoff for the first time that's cool right we're also putting a lot into just what Missouri has as a schedule which I think is the easier path in the to get to the SEC Championship but also to get into the college football playoff they're really not going to get challenged until late in the season and a big one for them is going to be number 16 Oklahoma who I got up there in the top of the teams basically they got Oklahoma where I got Notre Dame I think that Missouri is setting themselves up to have a pretty damn good spot they they were ended last season after the cotton will win as the number seven program in the country they're beginning this season as the number excuse me number eight team in the country and they're beginning this season as number 11 Utah is about cam rising and Kyle Whittingham cam Rising has been the starting quarterback for a full year Utah has been able to win Pack 12 championships and win Rose Bowls I think going into the Big 12 they are the favorite to win the league but it's a stout League it's it's a robust League it's a good League LSU at 13 I like LSU a lot better than the AP voters I got him at seven right but I also think that's got a lot to do with how they've been able to recruit how they've been able to develop and frankly Blake Baker being the defensive coordinator if it was Matt house I think I would still feel how how many people feel about LSU which is they're good but not good enough they won 10 games with basically a defense that wasn't any good at all right it was Jaden Daniels Brian Thomas Jr and Malik neighbors That We Knew by name Harold Perkins didn't look like the guy we saw in 2022 I think he's going to move back outside we're going to see him become one another one of those guys that we're talking about for the buckets award Clemson at 14 okay that means August 31st is going to be number one versus number 14 and I think that Garrett Riley has a lot to prove in that game remember Garrett Riley was Texas Christian offensive coordinator Fresh Off bral award win uh when they played Georgia in the national championship game got the worst Bowl beating in Bowl history 65 to7 so there's nothing Kirby Smart hasn't seen from gett riy that makes him feel some sort of upset I think Garrett Riley's gotta ride Kade kumnick and ride it on out because if they go get a win against Georgia these rankings are going to change dramatically especially for me because I'm putting a lot of stock into Georgia winning that game by a couple of touchdowns I think that Georgia has to win that football game I've talked about Oklahoma at 16 top 25 program they got a tough schedule there's no Vanderbilt on the schedule like there is for Texas but uh that's beside the point right uh Oklahoma's got a road man you got Tennessee Alabama Old Miss Missouri LSU all on the schedule this year with Texas like that's that's a lot we're asking Seth Latrell and Jackson Arnold to to do a lot of work here we're asking Zack allly in year one to turn that defense into the kind that can win an SEC Championship we'll wait and see Oklahoma State at number 17 is interesting that means they will open the season against number one FCS South Dakota state but they're opening at number 17 after playing in the Big 12 championship and returning an offensive uh line that was great last year and a tailback that was greater I think they're a little bit not a little bit they are underrated they return almost everybody that they need they got a seventh year quarterback in Alan Bowman who can sling it they got Brennan Presley on the on the outside they got Rashad Owens on the outside Oly Gordon is still going to be a dude that's probably going to rush, 1500 yards the defense holds up look out Oklahoma State they could be right there in the conference Championship game with Utah playing for their first opportunity to make the college football playoff number 18 Kansas State I think Avery Johnson is who we're watching there along with DJ giddens Dylan Edwards can they run the football can uh and can Avery Johnson find guys downfield I think Matt Wells is a great offensive coordinator and he's going to have them going in the right direction we all know that Chris kman is one of the better football coaches in the sport having won FCS national championships and a big 12 championship at Kansas State remember his his Kansas State Wildcats knocked off undefeated Texas Christian with the now transferred will Howard to Ohio State finishing out the top 25 Miami at 19 I have basically Miami at 26 I got Iowa State in there and where they don't I think the Iowa State's a better football team than Miami right now but that's about what Matt Campbell has been able to do over the course of the season and also what Mario Chrystal ball has not been able to do over the course of season that said they got cam Ward and they got Xavier Restrepo they got guys for which they can compete like they they should contend in the ACC I'm just not sure that they're going to win the ACC or finish with a better record than Iowa State frankly and then we got A&M at 20 another team that's looking to break into the college football playoff if not win its first Conference Championship since 1998 and its first national championship since 1939 Mike Elco Colin Klein got a lot of work to do over there but Conor wigman is a great quarterback I think they're going to find ways to win games that they otherwise wouldn't and earn that number 20 ranking 21 Arizona we're putting a lot into what we saw at a Noah faf last year replicating that but was that Bren and Carroll's offense or was that Bren brenman's offense that we're you know because Brent has got a new offense here we'll see number 22 I got uh or not I got ap's got Kansas which I think is great I think Jaylen Daniels being healthy gives them every opportunity Lance Li pole is one of my favorite coaches one of the most successful coaches in football like he's up there with Kaylin dor and as far as how we should think about yeah and Kansas is not playing a single game at home because they're renovating the stadium but they're going to be playing at Sporting KC and Arrowhead for a few games and we'll see how that affects them SC at 23 coming off seven and five Miller Moss looks like the starting quarterback there we're going to get to find out once and for all if it's lick and Riley or it's the quarterbacks because that guy if you play quarterback for him you're probably getting drafted number one overall you're probably going to win the Heisman Trophy because that's what Baker Mayfield did that's what kyin Murray did my God I'm thinking about the riches Caleb Williams did Jaylen HZ finished is second you know leads him to the college football playoff if Miller Moss has got the goods we'll find out North Carolina state that's just everybody standing I think I don't have North Carolina state that high because North Carolina state is going to win between seven and nine games they're not going to win 10 they're probably not going to lose six so I I we'll see right like I I I would really like to see North Carolina State take the leap into being an ACC title Contender as opposed to just decent and then number 25 Iowa Phil Parker my God that defense ridiculous the last last three years that is the reigning Royals Award winner if the offense with Tim Lester even has a pulse they're going to be a problem for everybody they play in the Big 10 for that reason rounding out those receiving votes Louisville with 111 uh Virginia Tech at 77 Boise State getting some love 47 SMU getting some love 33 Iowa State getting some love with 33 and Liberty getting some love with 32 Wason got 23 I don't see that that's people that just haven't seen the wholesale change that has been Washington football all the guys that made them the number two ranked program the national title runner up last year are gone but maybe it is because they're not ranked right which more I can say for most Nebraska got points in here got uh and Wisconsin got points in here Colorado even got a vote there it is somebody wasn't me we'll talk more about the college football playoff and AP rankings but this is a great starting point and I can't wait to talk more about it with you on the other side