With spring practices now wrapped up around the country, what would college football’s AP Top 25 look like if the organization released its poll today?
The offseason is here, for better or worse, and now more than 100 days stand between college football fans and the next live action on Aug. 24. With spring practices concluded at every FBS program across the country, fan bases have an entire summer to live in a world of hope eternal lying just over the horizon.
But while hope is all good and well, certain teams are likelier than others to open the year ranked in the major polls. The most important of the bunch, the AP Top 25, dates back to 1938 and serves as the gold standard in assessing the popular opinion on where teams fit in the college football hierarchy.
Right after the season concluded with Clemson’s win over Alabama in the College Football Playoff national championship game, we dove in and took a way-too-early projection of where teams might land on or off the preseason Top 25 once it comes out in August. Some of those projections were harsher than necessary, others were far rosier in the glow of bowl results, and yet more were likely right on the mark.
Now that spring practices are over, it is time to dive back in and assess anew where teams stand in the college football pecking order. At the top once again will be a couple of likely suspects, while any number of surprises could sneak into the bottom half of the Top 25.
OTHER TEAMS CONSIDERED:
Syracuse, Mississippi State, Kentucky, Oklahoma State, Boise State, Miami