Josh Pate calls Week 4 AP Top 25 'disaster'

Josh Pate unloads on AP voters for bias and flawed rankings.

College football analyst Josh Pate criticized the AP Top 25 rankings ahead of Week 4. | James Lang-Imagn Images

Josh Pate ripped into the Week 4 Associated Press Top 25 poll during Sunday’s episode of his College Football Show. The outspoken host said the poll had “probably the worst” ballot he had seen all season and accused voters of relying on preseason narratives instead of results.

“We have we have an issue we have to talk about,” Pate began. “Unfortunately, I have in my hand hot off the presses the week four edition of the AP poll. It is a disaster. Probably the worst I've seen them spit out so far this year.”

He had no issue with Ohio State at No. 1 but questioned Penn State’s spot at No. 2 and LSU at No. 3 ahead of Miami, which moved to No. 4 after a win against Notre Dame. Pate argued the Hurricanes had a stronger resume than either Big Ten or SEC contender. His list of grievances would continue in an eight-minute rant.

Pate Blasts Inconsistent Rankings For Illinois, Vanderbilt, And Georgia Tech

Pate’s sharpest criticism came for Illinois, ranked No. 9 despite what he described as a soft schedule. “Illinois is sitting at number nine right now. Georgia Tech's at 18 and Vanderbilt is at No. 20. I ask you, on what planet has Illinois done more to warrant their ranking than Vandy and Georgia Tech?”

He highlighted Vanderbilt’s road wins at Virginia Tech and South Carolina as proof they belonged higher. He praised Georgia Tech for overcoming turnovers to win at Colorado and then defeating Clemson at home. Despite those performances, both teams were slotted far lower than Illinois.

Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets head coach Brent Key and his program aren't getting enough credit in the AP Top 25 according to Josh Pate | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

The disparity, Pate said, was due to preseason expectations. He pointed out how voters keep teams like Illinois ranked highly because they were projected as top 10 contenders before the season.

“I ran my mouth about him all spring and I put him on the cover of this preview magazine I publish. I had him preseason top 10. I got to keep him top 10,” Pate said, mocking the mentality.

Texas Does Not Belong In The Top 10

Another target of Pate’s frustration was Texas, which landed at No. 8 despite a sluggish start. “Texas is not a top 10 team right now,” he said. “Texas has lost to the only good team they've played and then they looked very very lethargic in wins against San Jose State and UTEP and they're eight. Why?”

The focus of that underwhelming start has been quarterback Arch Manning. The redshirt sophomore completed just 11 of 25 passes for 114 yards with a touchdown and an interception in a Week 3 win over UTEP. He also ended the first half with 10 straight incompletions, drawing boos from the Texas crowd before salvaging the night with two rushing scores.

Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning (16) had 10 straight incompletions against UTEP on Saturday. | Scott Wachter-Imagn Images

Head coach Steve Sarkisian admitted Manning’s accuracy and decision-making were off. “He knew he was missing some throws that I think he’s comfortable making, and then you start skipping reads and scrambling and relying on his legs too much,” Sarkisian said. He added that Manning’s mechanics resembled a rushed golf swing, another sign of fundamentals slipping.

Through three games, Manning is completing 55.2 percent of his passes with six touchdowns and three interceptions. His early struggles have raised doubts about whether the Longhorns can meet lofty national title expectations. Pate’s point was simple: Texas has not looked like a top 10 program, and the AP voters are keeping them there because of brand reputation.

Notre Dame’s Inclusion Adds To Controversy

Pate also hammered Notre Dame’s placement at No. 24 despite being 0-2. “They haven't won a game. They've had two tries. They haven't won a game,” he said. The Irish dropped from No. 8 but remained ranked after losing to Miami and Texas A&M by a combined four points.

The last time a winless team stayed in the AP poll was Michigan in 1988. Notre Dame’s inclusion sparked a wider debate about whether the rankings should reflect future potential or current performance. Pate argued that the poll is “an illegitimate product” that “is not worth the paper it was printed on.”

Josh Pate called out Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Marcus Freeman (right) and his team's placement at No. 24 in the AP Top 25. | Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

Notre Dame’s ranking also underlined the inconsistency of the voters. Teams like South Carolina and Clemson fell out of the poll after their losses, while the Irish kept their spot because of name recognition.

Pate said, “What you thought would be hasn't been. What you think will be should have no bearing on a team's current ranking. And yet there sits Notre Dame at 24.”

Pate closed by jokingly predicting his own “Commissioner’s Poll” would soon overtake the AP Top 25 as the more trusted ranking. Notre Dame will try to change the conversation when it hosts Purdue next Saturday.