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AP voter draws unwanted attention for questionable Top 25 college football ballot

An Associated Press Top 25 voter’s Week 3 ballot is under fire.
Patrick Previty|
Florida Gators quarterback DJ Lagway
Florida Gators quarterback DJ Lagway | Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

An Associated Press Top 25 voter’s Week 3 ballot is under fire after ranking Florida while leaving South Florida unranked just one day after USF beat the Gators in Gainesville. On Sunday, the AP poll moved the Bulls into the rankings at No. 18 and dropped Florida out.

Haley Sawyer, a voter listed by the AP, submitted a ballot that placed Florida at No. 14 (the highest slot given to the Gators by any voter this week). Florida ultimately finished outside the Top 25, with only 70 poll points.

South Florida’s inclusion at No. 18 in the overall AP poll came after back-to-back wins over ranked opponents — a 34–7 win over Boise State and an 18–16 win at Florida — yet the Bulls were left off three ballots entirely. The omission, combined with Sawyer’s high Florida placement, fueled blowback from fans who were left confused by the lack of head-to-head recognition.

The criticism extended to other choices attributed to Sawyer’s Week 3 ballot. She also ranked Baylor while leaving Auburn off, despite Auburn entering the consensus poll at No. 24 and Baylor receiving only seven points. Auburn has the head-to-head win from the season opener over Baylor. It should be noted that Baylor just secured a ranked win over SMU (who also fell out of the rankings of the newest AP Poll).

She also placed South Carolina in the top 10 while keeping Vanderbilt unranked, even though the Gamecocks and Commodores share a common opponent through two weeks (Virginia Tech). South Carolina pulled away from VT late while Vanderbilt handled them with ease this past Saturday. South Carolina opened with a 24–11 win over the Hokies on Aug. 31 while Vanderbilt routed Virginia Tech 44–20 in Blacksburg on Sept. 6. It left fans questioning the disparity as the Gamecocks got a top-10 slot and Vandy was left off the individual ballot completely. Overall, the decisions left people scratching their heads, but it's a long season and the AP Poll does not decide who makes it into the college football playoff.

A little note on the voting: The AP Top 25 is compiled from more than 60 media ballots and the AP has long urged voters to weigh head-to-head outcomes over reputation and preseason projection.

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Patrick Previty
PATRICK PREVITY

In addition to writing for On SI, Patrick is also a site expert for Canes Warning and has previously written for outlets such as Betsided, Orlando Magic Daily and Southbound and Down. He serves as a sideline reporter for ESPN+, covering UCF athletics and the Big 12 Conference. In 2024, he hosted a live, on-site UCF football pregame show that aired on ESPN+. Patrick has interviewed numerous figures in the college sports world, ranging from players to UCF’s athletic director. Recently, he traveled to Mobile, Ala., to cover the 2025 Reese’s Senior Bowl, where he spoke with multiple NFL Draft prospects. Patrick also hosts coverage of the Orlando Magic for Digest Media on YouTube and has become one of the leading voices on the team in the region. Patrick also helps run the social media department for The Voice of College Football Network, focusing on breaking news and digital storytelling. Patrick previously spent time at CNN in the sports department, where he assisted with CNN’s World Sport show and Bleacher Report updates for morning programming. Hailing from the Tampa Bay Area, Patrick is a lifelong fan of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Tampa Bay Rays, Tampa Bay Lightning, Orlando Magic and UCF Knights.

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