This week’s Associated Press Top 25 college football poll is drawing renewed criticism for what analysts describe as inconsistent treatment of teams based on conference affiliation and preseason reputation rather than actual on-field results.
Texas, ranked No. 10, has two losses this season — to Oklahoma and a home defeat to Florida — along with a come-from-behind win over Ohio State and a victory over Ole Miss. Texas Tech, with only one loss (a blowout at Cincinnati) and two wins over ranked teams in the Big 12, sits at No. 13, behind Texas despite arguably a stronger resume.
Missouri is ranked No. 19 despite a resume critics call unimpressive. The Tigers were blown out 31-3 by Ole Miss and lost to Mississippi State. Their signature win over Florida has lost some shine given Florida’s subsequent collapse.
Florida and South Carolina rankings questioned
Florida, despite notable wins over Ole Miss and Texas, has lost three games by wide margins: 45-17 at Missouri, 38-19 to South Carolina, and 27-8 to Georgia — the last of those losses coming this past Saturday. Critics argue that a team with three lopsided losses should not be ranked at all.
Meanwhile, Northwestern, which has only two losses — both close games, to Indiana and Oregon — remains unranked entirely.
South Carolina, also sitting with three losses, is ranked No. 23. The Gamecocks lost to Mississippi State and Kentucky and were blown out 49-18 by Alabama, though they did beat Tennessee and a mediocre Oklahoma team to climb into the poll.
Notre Dame’s ranking also scrutinized
Notre Dame, at 7-1, is ranked No. 4 — ahead of undefeated UCLA and one-loss Indiana. The Irish’s wins came against Wisconsin, Rice, Michigan State, Purdue, North Carolina, Stanford and Navy, with their only loss coming on the road at BYU. Indiana’s lone loss was a close game against Ohio State with starting quarterback Julian Sayin. UCLA remains the only unbeaten team in the Big Ten or SEC, with wins over Wisconsin at home and Oregon on the road.
Critics argue the pattern reflects voters’ reliance on brand names and conference reputation rather than game results, even as coaches such as Lane Kiffin have spent weeks publicly complaining about scheduling demands for SEC teams.
The AP poll’s rankings carry weight beyond prestige — they can influence the College Football Playoff selection committee’s own rankings later in the season, meaning early inconsistencies in the AP poll could have real consequences for which teams make the playoff field.
