College Football Polls

The top teams in the country started to separate themselves from the pack Saturday, creating some significant movement in the latest Associated Press poll. 

SEC heavyweights Alabama and Georgia defeated ranked opponents to prove their worth, while Clemson had little trouble improving to 3-0 on the season. Meanwhile, Texas suffered its first loss of the year while Oklahoma went down for the second straight week.

There were eight different ranked teams that lost over the past week.

In a limited schedule because of the COVID-19 pandemic, each team has significant challenges right out of the gate of the season, and we are learning quite a bit each week.

Here is how the latest set of games affected the current rankings.

      

AP Poll Top 25

1. Clemson

2. Alabama

3. Georgia

4. Florida

5. Notre Dame

6. Ohio State

7. Miami (Florida)

8. North Carolina

9. Penn State

10. Oklahoma State

11. Cincinnati

12. Oregon

13. Auburn

14. Tennessee

15. BYU

16. Wisconsin

17. LSU

18. SMU

19. Virginia Tech

20. Michigan

21. Texas A&M

22. Texas

23. Louisiana-Lafayette

24. Iowa State

25. Minnesota

       

The most anticipated game of the week was a Top 10 battle between Georgia and Auburn, but it ended up not being close at all as the Bulldogs dominated on their way to a 27-6 victory at home.

"They're a very good football team," Auburn coach Gus Malzahn said of Georgia after the game, per Tom Green of AL.com. "They won the line of scrimmage. We really got whipped on all three phases. We got out-coached."

Auburn was held to just 1.8 yards per carry, while Bo Nix didn't find any more success throwing the ball down the field:

Bo Nix on throws of 10+ yards against Georgia:

▪️ 3/18
▪️ 1 INT
▪️ 16.9 passer rating pic.twitter.com/0TfRqhm7BY

— PFF College (@PFF_College) October 4, 2020

Stetson Bennett played well for Georgia, but the strength of the Bulldogs is their defense, and it could be enough to contend for a national championship. It was at least enough to move up to No. 3 overall, while Auburn dropped to No. 13.

It was a different story for Alabama, which impressed offensively behind 435 passing yards and four touchdown passes from Mac Jones.

Despite a tough opponent in Texas A&M, the quarterback consistently found his receivers for big gains, including three touchdowns of over 60 yards.

W̶A̶R̶P̶ WADDLE SPEED pic.twitter.com/hMM2Sx5KCs

— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) October 3, 2020

Alabama looks as dangerous as ever while remaining No. 2 overall. Texas A&M is now No. 21.

Clemson wasn't quite as efficient against an inferior opponent in Virginia, especially with the defense allowing 417 yards from scrimmage. Trevor Lawrence was still as good as ever with 329 passing yards and three touchdowns, making sure the game was never in doubt on the way to a 41-23 win.

There was more drama in the Big 12 as TCU shocked Texas with a 33-31 win in Austin.

Texas entered as the No. 9 team in the country, but two turnovers and terrible defense caused the team to drop to No. 22 in the latest poll. It means the Big 12 could have an even tougher time getting a representative in the college football playoff.

Oklahoma is all but eliminated after being unranked in the latest poll. The Sooners suffered their second straight loss thanks to a come-from-behind effort from Iowa State, which used two late touchdowns to seal a 37-30 victory.

The only team in the conference that stood out was Oklahoma State, which cruised to a 47-7 win over Kansas.

I always argue that conferences are evaluated based on what they are at the top...for the Big 12 that is now Oklahoma State

— Joel Klatt (@joelklatt) October 4, 2020

The Cowboys are currently No. 10 in the latest rankings.

A battle between Clemson and Miami highlights the Week 6 schedule, but upsets are possible throughout the country next weekend.

So much for the college football Top 25 stabilizing.

While each of the nation's Top Five teams remain unbeaten, upsets across the sport elsewhere sent the latest Amway Coaches Poll into a state of flux.  

Here is a look at how the entire Top 25 played out:

1. Clemson

2. Alabama

T-3. Georgia

T-3. Florida

5. Notre Dame

6. Ohio State

7. Miami

8. Penn State

9. North Carolina

10. Oklahoma State

11. Cincinnati

12. Tennessee

13. Auburn

14. Wisconsin

15. BYU

16. LSU

17. Oregon

18. Virginia Tech

19. Michigan

20. Texas A&M

21. SMU

22. Texas

23. UL Lafayette  

24. Iowa State

25. UCF

Auburn and Texas were the two Top 10 teams to fall, with the Tigers moving back six slots to No. 13 and the Longhorns dropping all the way to No. 22. 

Georgia turned in a dominant performance in the biggest SEC game of the young season to earn a 27-6 win over Auburn. The Bulldogs held Auburn to just 216 total yards and rushed for 202 yards as a team, highlighted by Zamir White's 88 yards and two scores.

Stetson Bennett threw for 240 yards and a touchdown in a steady performance that will likely help him keep the starting quarterback job for the foreseeable future.

"It's so easy to play football when the defense plays as well as they did, when you run the ball as well as we did, and the guys on the outside are making plays like they did," Bennett told reporters.

A week after looking shaky in a shootout against Texas Tech, Texas fell apart down the stretch in a 33-31 loss to TCU. Longhorns running back Keaontay Ingram fumbled the ball at the TCU 1-yard line on what could have been the game-winning drive, finishing off a sloppy performance for Tom Herman's team. 

"I need to have deep conversation with our leadership council and find out the psyche of our team," Herman told reporters. "We've got to find a way to make sure that whatever it is that caused the breakdowns today doesn't happen again'."

Five additional teams (UCF, Mississippi State, Oklahoma, Memphis and Pittsburgh) lost to unranked opponents. Oklahoma is out of the Top 25 after a 37-30 loss to Iowa State, the Sooners' second upset defeat in as many weeks.

Mississippi State, Memphis and Pittsburgh also dropped out. 

The start of SEC and Big 12 play and the return of Big Ten teams helped create quite a few changes in the latest Associated Press poll. 

While Saturday was officially Week 4 of the college football season, it featured the first appearances for several top teams as well as the first true test for many more. It resulted in two losses from teams that were considered potential title contenders, while other teams showed they were even better than many believed.

It led to some tough choices for AP voters heading into the Week 5 Top 25.

     

Associated Press Poll

1. Clemson

2. Alabama

3. Florida

4. Georgia

5. Notre Dame

6. Ohio State

7. Auburn

8. Miami (Florida)

9. Texas

10. Penn State

11. UCF

12. North Carolina

13. Texas A&M

14. Oregon

15. Cincinnati

16. Mississippi State

17. Oklahoma State

18. Oklahoma

19. Wisconsin

20. LSU

21. Tennessee

22. BYU

23. Michigan

24. Pittsburgh

25. Memphis

     

The Big Ten initially postponed its season as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic before announcing it would return, with the new schedule beginning games on Oct. 24.

Voters were told to include teams from the conference in the preseason poll but removed them over the next few weeks. With the schedule in place, it means the top squads are back in the rankings as they prepare for the start of their season.

This week, voters added Ohio State (No. 6), Penn State (No. 10), Wisconsin (No. 19) and Michigan (No. 23). Oregon was also slotted in at No. 14 from the Pac-12.

It will still be nearly a month before any of these squads see the field, but we can start comparing them to the rest of the nation.

On the field, there was no game bigger than Kansas State's 38-35 upset of No. 3 Oklahoma.

Skylar Thompson starred with 334 passing yards and four total touchdowns, helping his team overcome a 21-point deficit in the second half with 24 unanswered points.

"There's not really any words I can say to describe it," Thompson said after the game, per Max Olson of The Athletic. "It's like you had to be there to feel it."

Sooners quarterback Spencer Rattler had his moments, but three interceptions ruined his day. It resulted in Oklahoma dropping to No. 18 in the poll, while Kansas State remained unranked.

LSU also fell from No. 6 to No. 20 after being a part of the other big upset of the weekend.

K.J. Costello tallied 623 passing yards and five touchdowns for Mississippi State, which debuted at No. 16 in Sunday's poll.

Though the Bulldogs were impressive under Mike Leach, the game creates significant concern for LSU, which is replacing most of its entire lineup from last year's national championship squad. 

Clemson and Alabama remain in the top spots after strong starts to their season, but they will both be challenged in conference matchups next weekend.

With the Big Ten announcing its return two weeks ago and the Pac-12 following suit last week, college football's Top 25 was due for a shake-up. 

And that was all before two Top Five teams fell by the wayside.

Clemson and Alabama remain atop the latest Amway Coaches Poll, but the top five behind them is far different. Florida, Georgia and Notre Dame round out the new-look rankings.

Here is how the Top 25 played out:

1. Clemson

2. Alabama

3. Florida

4. Georgia

5. Notre Dame

6. Ohio State

7. Auburn

8. Miami

9. Texas

10. Penn State

11. North Carolina

12. Central Florida

13. Texas A&M

14. Mississippi State

15. Cincinnati

16. Oklahoma

17. LSU

18. Wisconsin

19. Oklahoma State

20. Tennessee

21. Michigan

22. BYU

23. Virginia Tech

24. Memphis

25. Pittsburgh

Big Ten teams seemed to settle into their spots in the Top 25 this week after being lower than expected in their re-entry to the polls, likely because some voters still kept them off their ballots. 

When it comes to teams that aren't a month away from making their season debuts, all the talk across the sport is about LSU and Oklahoma suffering defeats that may have already ended their playoff hopes.

The Sooners' 38-35 loss to Kansas State was the week's biggest jaw-dropper, with the Wildcats just a game removed from losing to Arkansas State at home. Oklahoma quarterback Spencer Rattler's Heisman hopes may have been dashed as he threw three interceptions and failed on three straight fourth-quarter drives down the stretch.

"He's a young guy in his second start," Oklahoma coach Lincoln Riley told reporters. "We're going to continue to build on it and he's going to continue to get better and get coached better as well."

Less shocking given the mass exodus of talent and coaches this offseason was LSU's 44-34 loss to Mississippi State. Mike Leach's SEC debut was nothing short of a rousing success, with quarterback K.J. Costello throwing for a conference-record 623 yards and five touchdowns. Myles Brennan threw for 345 yards and three touchdowns in his debut replacing Joe Burrow but tossed two picks and was sacked seven times.

"We couldn't stay with those guys," LSU coach Ed Orgeron told reporters. "Too many missed assignments. Too many guys running free, getting beat one on one. We have to look at whether or not we can cover man to man. If we can't, we are going to have to play more zone."

LSU dropped 12 spots to No. 17, while Oklahoma moved back 13 to No. 16. Mississippi State made its Top 25 debut at No. 14.

UL Lafayette and Minnesota both dropped out of the Top 25. 

With few surprises this weekend, the Associated Press Top 25 poll remains unchanged for the most part. 

Only nine games Saturday featured at least one Top 25 team. Marshall provided the only upset, defeating No. 23 Appalachian State 17-7. Miami prevailed in the only head-to-head clash between ranked teams as the No. 17 Hurricanes dispatched No. 18 Louisville 47-34.

Thanks to that win, Miami climbed five spots to 17th. The Canes were the biggest movers in the Week 4 rankings.

1. Clemson

2. Alabama

3. Oklahoma

4. Georgia

5. Florida

6. LSU

7. Notre Dame

T8. Texas

T8. Auburn

10. Texas A&M

11. North Carolina

12. Miami 

13. UCF

14. Cincinnati

15. Oklahoma State

16. Tennessee

17. Memphis

18. BYU

19. Louisiana-Lafayette

20. Virginia Tech

21. Pittsburgh

22. Army

23. Kentucky

24. Louisville

25. Marshall

Fans hoping for some Week 3 chaos were left disappointed. Clemson and Notre Dame blew out their opponents by 49 and 52 points, respectively, in shutouts.

Oklahoma State had its hands full with Tulsa. The 11th-ranked Cowboys trailed 7-3 heading into the fourth quarter. Chuba Hubbard helped give them a 10-7 lead before a pair of field goals from Alex Hale left no doubt about the final result.

Louisiana-Lafayette needed overtime to put Georgia State away. Elijah Mitchell delivered the decisive score with a 12-yard touchdown run.

WHAT. A. GAME.

Louisiana earns its first win in overtime since 2005 with the rushing touchdown from Elijah Mitchell!

🤟 Let's Geaux! #cULture | #GeauxCajuns pic.twitter.com/Yk4eH2xjrb

— Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns® Football (@RaginCajunsFB) September 19, 2020

The poll is likely to see a few more changes this time next week since the SEC opens play with seven games. The most notable matchup has Auburn hosting Kentucky at Jordan-Hare Stadium. No. 15 Tennessee is traveling to South Carolina for what could be a tricky game as well.

The Big Ten will soon factor into the equation too.

The AP included Big Ten and Pac-12 schools in its preseason poll even though the conferences postponed their fall sports seasons. Those teams have since been omitted after play began.

The Big Ten, however, announced Wednesday it will kick off its 2020 campaign Oct. 23.

AP voters were told not to include the Big Ten in the Week 4 poll since more information about the conference's schedule would be forthcoming. The rollout arrived Saturday with teams slated to play eight conference foes before the Big Ten title game Dec. 19.

Perhaps Ohio State and Penn State will reclaim their Top 10 status in Week 5.

On a week when most of college football remained idle, No. 1 Clemson continued to flex its muscles.

The Tigers scored all 49 points in their 49-0 win over The Citadel in the first half and easily maintained their No. 1 ranking in the latest Amway Coaches Poll. Alabama, Oklahoma, Georgia and LSU round out the Top Five. 

Here is a look at how the Top 25 played out:

1. Clemson

2. Alabama

T-3. Oklahoma

T-3. Georgia

5. LSU

6. Florida

7. Notre Dame

8. Auburn

9. Texas

10. Ohio State

11. Texas A&M

12. North Carolina

13. Penn State

14. Miami

15. Central Florida

16. Cincinnati

17. Wisconsin

18. Oklahoma State

19. Michigan

20. Memphis

21. Tennessee

22. Minnesota

23. BYU

24. Virginia Tech

25. UL Lafayette 

Big Ten schools were eligible for inclusion in this week's coaches poll after announcing a plan to return Oct. 24 with an eight-game schedule. This is contrasted by the AP poll, which is yet to make the Big Ten eligible.

The conference initially postponed its fall schedule amid the COVID-19 pandemic but reversed course as rapid-testing capabilities increased.

While five Big Ten teams made their return to the polls this week, it's clear some voters did not get the memo or have left them out purposely. Ohio State, ranked No. 2 in the preseason, dropped all the way to No. 10. Penn State went from No. 7 to No. 13. Big Ten schools did have several players opt out of the 2020 season, but not enough to create the stark difference in polling positions. 

It's likely there will be an adjustment again next week that normalizes the rankings. 

Only nine teams listed in last week's Top 25 were in action. North Carolina, BYU, Army and Baylor all had games postponed this week because of the pandemic, and the SEC is still one week away from starting its 2020 schedule.  

Miami walked away with an impressive 47-34 win in its trip to Louisville, the only marquee game on this week's schedule. D'Eriq King threw for 325 yards and three touchdowns, and Cam'Ron Harris added 134 yards and a score on the ground, leading Miami to a huge win in its conference opener. The Hurricanes had three touchdown plays of longer than 40 yards, including two of the 75-yard variety.

"We talked about creating more explosive plays through the passing game, which we were able to do," Miami coach Manny Diaz told reporters, "but we obviously had some through the running game, as well. We can still be so much better. The explosive plays, it was who we wanted to be."

Miami moved up from No. 18 to No. 14 in the poll, while Louisville dropped out of the polls. 

Appalachian State's hopes of making a run to a playoff game were dashed Saturday in a 17-7 loss at Marshall. The Mountaineers exited the Top 25 after moving to No. 23 after a season-opening win over Charlotte. 

The Clemson Tigers retained the top spot in the Amway Coaches Poll after a 37-13 win over Wake Forest on Saturday.

The preseason poll included schools from conferences that have postponed their fall football seasons, and those teams were not included in the latest rankings. As a result, Sunday's reveal saw a lot of teams moving up the leaderboard. Oklahoma climbed into the Top Five, going from sixth to third on the heels of a 48-0 demolition of Missouri State.

Amway Coaches Poll: Week 3

1. Clemson

2. Alabama

3. Oklahoma

4. Georgia

5. LSU

6. Florida

7. Notre Dame

8. Texas

9. Auburn

10. Texas A&M

11. North Carolina

12. Oklahoma State

13. UCF

14. Cincinnati

15. Memphis

16. Louisville

17. Tennessee

18. Miami

19. Virginia Tech

20. Kentucky

21. Louisiana-Lafayette

22. BYU

23. Appalachian State

24. Baylor

25. Army

As a result of the unique circumstances for this season, the likes of Texas A&M, Cincinnati, UCF, Tennessee and Baylor all improved their positions despite not even playing over the weekend. The Bears, for example, were slated to oppose Louisiana Tech before their game was postponed because of positive COVID-19 tests within the Bulldogs.

No team benefited more from the Coaches Poll's general upheaval more than Louisiana-Lafayette. The Ragin' Cajuns were in the "receiving votes" category from the preseason ranking and now sit 21st after upsetting Iowa State.

📢 RANKED 📢 #cULture | #GeauxCajuns pic.twitter.com/RPF2oU7uFA

— Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns® Football (@RaginCajunsFB) September 13, 2020

The Cyclones were the only team to fall out of the Top 25 in the wake of a defeat, slipping from the No. 25 spot.

The @SunBelt was 3-0 against the Big 12 today pic.twitter.com/SwKk4P5xoy

— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) September 13, 2020

Ohio State, Penn State, Oregon, Wisconsin, Michigan, USC, Minnesota, Utah and Iowa were the others to not be included after their conferences postponed their seasons.

Looking ahead to Week 3, No. 16 Louisville hosts No. 18 Miami, while the new No. 25, Army, welcomes No. 22 BYU. Those games will have an impact on the next installment of the coaches poll.

The big shifts probably won't happen until after SEC schools open their seasons Sept. 26.

What if, in January 2020, someone had told you that when the AP NCAA Top 25 poll was released in the fall, Ohio State would come in at No. 2 in the preseason poll but would drop out of the Top 25 altogether the next week?

It would have seemed more than far-fetched, but given the unusual way the college football season is unfolding during the COVID-19 pandemic, that's exactly what will happen—not only to Ohio State, but to all programs from the Big Ten and Pac-12 currently ranked. 

The Associated Press asked its panel of 62 voters to consider all Division I programs when filling out their ballots for the Week 1 poll, even those that play in conferences that have canceled their college football seasons. According to the NCAA, "67 out of 130 Bowl Subdivision teams, including those from the ACC, Big 12 and SEC, are still planning a fall football season."

After play actually begins this season, voters will rank only teams that are scheduled to play.

Needless to say, college football Twitter was tickled by this entire concept—while many who think moving ahead with any kind of NCAA season is irresponsible in the current circumstances are downright irked. We've collected some of the top takes in the wake of the poll's release here. 

First, for your convenience, here is the entirety of the preseason poll.

     

AP NCAA Top 25 Poll

1. Clemson

2. Ohio St

3. Alabama

4. Georgia

5. Oklahoma

6. LSU

7. PSU

8. Florida

9. Oregon

10. Notre Dame

11. Auburn

12. Wisconsin

13. Texas A&M

14. Texas

15. Oklahoma State

16. Michigan

17. USC

18. UNC

19. Minnesota

20. Cincinnati

21. UCF

22. Utah

23. Iowa State

24. Iowa

25. Tennessee

     

There will be plenty of movement from the preseason iteration of the poll to the next after games are played. Nine programs that have already canceled their seasons were included: No. 2 Ohio State, No. 7 Penn State, No. 9 Oregon, No. 12 Wisconsin, No. 16 Michigan, No. 17 USC, No. 19 Minnesota, No. 22 Utah and No. 24 Iowa.

ESPN sideline reporter Molly McGrath voiced the thoughts that are surely on the minds of many Buckeyes fans. Ranked four spots ahead of national champion, with quarterback Justin Fields returning to play behind a veteran offensive line, the college football world knew Ohio State would have had a special season. 

What could have been...the preseason AP poll was just released and includes all teams in college football. Can’t imagine what it’s like seeing this as an @OhioStateFB fan. pic.twitter.com/kupe5HcRKV

— Molly McGrath (@MollyAMcGrath) August 24, 2020

Indeed, much of the Twitter chatter on Monday afternoon fell into one of two categories: Buckeyes fans mourning what could have been and college football analysts imagining how much Buckeyes fans must be mourning what could have been. 

In happier news, UCF fans had something to celebrate Monday: their team became the only one in Florida (yes, not even...Florida) to rank in the preseason AP Top 25 for three consecutive years.

#UCF ranked in preseason AP Top 25 for third straight year, only team in Florida to do so. https://t.co/9Z5EITJfjJ via @247sports

— Jason Beede (@therealBeede) August 24, 2020

It's something of the opposite for Texas. As Blinkin Riley pointed out, the preseason hype for Texas historically tends to outweigh its actual performance:

Texas comes in at #14 in the AP Preseason poll

No team in the history of the AP Poll has started a season ranked in the Top 15 and finished that season unranked more times than Texas. https://t.co/wgApR1MVPD

— Blinkin (@blinkinriley) August 24, 2020

The Athletic's Oklahoma football writer Jason Kersey pointed out a similar trend for A&M. Ah, tradition. 

https://twitter.com/jasonkersey/status/1297933486985228291

The Big Ten and Pac-12 teams that won't play this year weren't the only thing on people's minds. Arkansas fans had some jokes at the expense of their strength of schedule this season:

Also known as Arkansas schedule https://t.co/vOkSrZsx3o

— Bob Holt (@BobHoltADG) August 24, 2020

Y’all got the wrong list. That’s just Arkansas’ schedule

— Caleb®️ (@awsomehog1) August 24, 2020

No hyperbole here; Arkansas athletic director Hunter Yurachek, in a statement, called Arkansas' schedule "the most challenging schedule in the history of college football."

Meanwhile, there's an independent program that rhymes with Schmotre Schmame included in the top 10 that has not yet canceled its season, and yet plenty of college football fans on Twitter think it doesn't belong at all:

https://twitter.com/Mike__OC/status/1297931277069295616

CFB Home took the liberty of creating the Top 25 poll for only the teams who currently plan to move ahead with their seasons by using the "others receiving votes" list AP includes at the bottom of the poll:

AP Poll with only teams that are playing.

1 Clemson
2 Alabama
3 UGA
4 Oklahoma
5 LSU
6 UF
7 Notre Dame
8 Auburn
9 Texas A&M
10 Texas
11 Oklahoma St
12 UNC
13 Cincy
14 UCF
15 Iowa St
16 Tennessee
17 Memphis
18 VT
19 Miami
20 Louisville
21 App St
22 UK
23 Baylor
24 TCU
25 UVA

— CFB Home (@CFBHome) August 24, 2020

That list looks like: Memphis 86, Virginia Tech 85, Boise State 68, Arizona State 66, Miami (FL) 42, Louisville 32, Appalachian State 26, Washington 21, Kentucky 20, Indiana 19, Baylor 15, California 11, TCU 9, Virginia 7, Navy 6, Florida State 6, SMU 3, Mississippi State 3, Air Force 3, Northwestern 1, UAB 1.

This preseason will surely go down as the one that bore out the strangest AP Top 25 poll in history. While there were jokes, statistical nuggets and hopefulness, CJ perhaps summed up most of college football Twitter's feelings on the matter:

AP poll out.... pain

— CJ (@DARlUSTAYLOR) August 24, 2020

Frankly, that sentiment holds true in a pandemic season or not. 

The first Associated Press Top 25 poll of the 2020 college football season has been released, with the Clemson Tigers sitting in the top spot. 

Since the preseason AP poll was voted on before the Big Ten and Pac-12 announced their decision to postpone fall sports, those conferences are represented in this ranking.

"The AP has asked its voters to consider all Division I teams when filling out their ballots, so the preseason poll is expected to include teams from conferences that have decided not to play this fall," Ralph D. Russo of the AP wrote on Aug. 14. "After games begin, voters will rank only teams that are scheduled to play."

Here's the full Top 25 as voted on by the Associated Press' panel of sports writers and broadcasters:

1. Clemson Tigers (38 first-place votes)

2. Ohio State Buckeyes (21)

3. Alabama Crimson Tide (2)

4. Georgia Bulldogs

5. Oklahoma Sooners

6. LSU Tigers (1)

7. Penn State Nittany Lions

8. Florida Gators

9. Oregon Ducks

10. Notre Dame Fighting Irish

11. Auburn Tigers

12. Wisconsin Badgers

13. Texas A&M Aggies

14. Texas Longhorns

15. Oklahoma State Cowboys

16. Michigan Wolverines

17. USC Trojans

18. North Carolina Tar Heels

19. Minnesota Golden Gophers

20. Cincinnati Bearcats

21. UCF Knights

22. Utah Utes

23. Iowa State Cyclones

24. Iowa Hawkeyes

25. Tennessee Volunteers

     

Since the Big Ten and Pac-12 teams will be dropped from the next rankings, which will come out after games begin, the entire Top 25 is going to have a drastically different look. 

Among the initial rankings, though, it's not a surprise to see the SEC dominating the list. The conference is led by Alabama, Georgia, defending national champion LSU and Florida in the top 10.

Even though Alabama and LSU reload on talent every year, both teams have question marks at the quarterback position coming into the regular season. Joe Burrow and Tua Tagovailoa were the first two quarterbacks taken in the 2020 NFL draft. 

The Crimson Tide may have indirectly benefited from Tagovailoa's season-ending hip injury. Mac Jones completed 68.8 percent of his passes for 1,503 yards, 14 touchdowns and three interceptions in 11 games last year. 

Jones has competition for the starting job. True freshman Bryce Young arrives in Tuscaloosa as a highly-touted 5-star prospect and No. 2 overall recruit in the 2020 class, per 247Sports composite rankings. 

LSU will turn to redshirt junior Myles Brennan for his first extended action. The Mississippi native has attempted 70 passes in the past three seasons and has more interceptions (three) than touchdowns. 

As the immediate successor to Burrow, Brennan will be unfairly compared to the 2019 Heisman Trophy winner. It will be virtually impossible for anyone to duplicate what the Tigers offense did last year en route to winning a national title. 

Right in the mix with those SEC programs is Oklahoma, though the reigning Big 12 champs have their own quarterback dilemma.

Head coach Lincoln Riley has been a quarterback guru the past two years. Kyler Murray won the Heisman Trophy in 2018. Jalen Hurts transferred from Alabama and finished third in Heisman voting last year. 

The buzz around the Sooners has revolved around Spencer Rattler. Mike Brown, who was Rattler's offensive coordinator in high school, did nothing to calm the hype with a lofty player comparison. 

"I'll be honest, I think he's the next Patrick Mahomes," Brown told Caleb McCourry of OUDaily.com. "He reminds me so much of him, just arm strength, the pocket presence, the accuracy."

Whether Rattler can live up to that comparison remains to be seen, but he certainly has the right coach who can get him to that level. 

Any discussion of quarterbacks in 2020 will almost certainly start with Trevor Lawrence. The Clemson star has been the presumptive No. 1 pick in the 2021 NFL draft since leading his team to a national title as a true freshman two years ago. 

Lawrence had a slow start last season with a 60.8 completion percentage, 831 yards, five touchdowns and five interceptions in his first three games. The 20-year-old found himself from that point on, completing 67.4 percent of his passes for 2,834 yards, 31 touchdowns and three interceptions over the final 12 games. 

One important factor to remember this season is most schedules have been adjusted to conference-only games. A team like LSU trying to run the gauntlet will have to prove itself from Oct. 17 through Nov. 14 with games against Florida, Auburn and Alabama.

Alabama has to play Texas A&M on Oct. 3 and Georgia on Oct. 17, though both of those games will be at Bryant–Denny Stadium. 

On the other hand, Clemson figures to benefit from primarily playing ACC opponents. Its most difficult game right now looks like a Nov. 7 showdown against Notre Dame in South Bend. 

This is going to be the most unusual college football season any of us have ever seen. Everything about the rankings will be given a shake up after Week 1, but for now, the hype for the start of games can begin.