College football puts out a preseason poll every year, fresh with contention and interesting decisions. 2018 was no different.
The AP Top 25, do you put a lot of stock into them? No, do they really matter in the final weeks of the college football season? No, do we eagerly await for their arrival each and every season? Absolutely!
The AP Poll gives us an idea of the expectations that the Associated Press has for who they believe to be the best 25 teams in football and some teams live up to those expectations while a tough schedule and roster turnover lead others to fall by the wayside.
Saturday Blitz offers their reactions to all AP Top 25 teams and the biggest snubs that didn’t quite catch the eye of the Associated Press.
Honorable Mentions
South Carolina Gamecocks
Votes Received: 96
South Carolina’s snub came as a surprise to many especially considering the number of votes received to crack it. The Gamecock offense is poised to be one of the best in the SEC with quarterback Jake Bentley and offensive weapon Deebo Samuel in the fold. South Carolina returns six starters on a defense that has vastly improved since Will Muschamp took over in 2016. A look into the Gamecocks schedule will reveal that they could realistically reach ten wins with losses to Clemson and Georgia in 2018.
Utah Utes
Votes Received: 60
Utah had an incredible 2017 season for a team that lost their starting quarterback, running back, and top-two receiving targets the season before. The Utes offense went from 30.6 points per game to 29.8 points per game which is an incredible feat for coach Kyle Whittingham. With eight starters back on offense, I’m incredibly interested in the Utes part in the Pac-12 South in 2018. Their defense returns six starters and looks to fall in line with the strong, gritty defenses that the Utes have had over the last four years.
Arizona Wildcats
Votes Received: 28
Arizona’s offense alone this season puts them in the running for a top-25 spot. Khalil Tate rose to the national spotlight last season after rushing for 327 yards against Colorado and is currently 12-1 to win the Heisman. Arizona’s defense will look far improved from a year ago with eight returning starters and added much-needed size along the defensive line. Kevin Sumlin’s offensive system is a bit different from Rich Rodriguez‘s but Khalil Tates very presence makes all the difference for a team that would otherwise be at the middle of the Pac-12 South.
Florida Atlantic Owls
Votes Received: 38
There were only two Group of Five teams that cracked the Top-25 and Lane Kiffin‘s Owls were not one of them. Florida Atlantic returns only five offensive starters but one of them is running back Devin Singletary who scored 33 total touchdowns. The loss of Jason Driskel was huge, but the talent at quarterback is unbelievable with Oklahoma-transfer Chris Robison and Last Chance U star DeAndre Johnson. They also add West Virginia-transfer Jovon Durante Jr. to fill some of the void in the passing game. The Florida Atlantic Defense that allowed less than 30 points in their final seven games returns 10 starters and looks to be a force yet again in 2018.