College football 2021: Most underrated, overrated teams by P5 conference
By John Scimeca
It’s August, which can only mean one thing for college football fans: hope springs eternal while fall camps get underway.
Many head coaches are fresh off conference media days in which they are quick to talk about how excited they are for the season. Star players are immediately placed on a pedestal based on their previous year’s performance, and everyone is looking for who can be the “next big thing” to fill the shoes on campus of a departed NFL draftee.
The 2021 season will provide a sense of normalcy
The preseason media polls are tabulated, while publications abound with preseason Top 25 rankings based on last season’s record and a hunch.
Last year’s results may be especially tough to base 2021 predictions, however, given the stop-and-start nature of action and the differences between conferences.
While some teams were on the field since late August or early September, others didn’t play a snap until two months later. Others had players opt out early if they even suited up at all, and everyone had some sort of new game day procedures (and not to mention COVID-19 testing protocols) to work around.
It’s difficult to sort through the real substance and the phony pretenders at this time of the year, but we’re here to help.
Here are the most underrated and overrated teams in each Power Five conference for the 2021 football season: