Overrated, underrated teams in AP top 25 college football rankings

A second look at the AP top 25 preseason college football rankings, and our judgments for what teams got too much attention, and which got too little.

After looking at the AP top 25 preseason college football rankings, a closer look at the overrated and underrated teams in the 2024 poll. / Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

AP top 25 voters revealed their 2024 preseason college football rankings on Monday with two weeks until the regular season kickoff, and as expected, the SEC and Big Ten dominated the top of the poll.

Eight of the top nine teams in the rankings belong to one of those conferences, and the ninth is an independent school, and not until No. 10 did an ACC team appear in the preseason poll.

Don't get used to these rankings, however: with the early season ranked matchups to be played, there will be some changes around the top right away.

And don't feel too comfortable as the No. 1 team, Georgia. Only one top-ranked preseason school has won the national title in the playoff era, that being Alabama in 2017. And it's only happened twice in this century, with USC in 2004 being the other one.

What did the AP top 25 pollsters get right and wrong in the preseason rankings?

College football's overrated, underrated AP top 25 teams

Overrated: No. 7 Notre Dame

While the Irish return a strong defense and boast promise with offensive transfers, coming out ahead of Missouri and Penn State in the first rankings was a miscalculation by the voters.

The expanded playoff is a huge help for Notre Dame, which plays a winnable schedule, but the jury is very much still out on if Riley Leonard is the answer at quarterback.

A talented rusher, Leonard is yet to fully prove himself as the downfield passer the Irish need, and there are questions around Notre Dame's ability to protect him properly.

Underrated: No. 12 Utah

Even with the loss of star edge rusher Jonah Elliss, the Utes are still a top-10 team in our estimation.

Cameron Rising returns at quarterback, as does Brant Kuithe at tight end, and Utah gets transfer receiver Dorian Singer in a major coup for this offense.

Defensively, an expected eight starters return in addition to solid transfer acquisitions in the secondary to put the Utes in the mix for the expanded Big 12 title.

Overrated: No. 9 Michigan

This was already the lowest preseason ranking for a defending national champion since Auburn debuted at No. 23 back in 2011, but the Wolverines should not be in the top 10.

This isn't just a different team, but practically a different program after undergoing major structural turnover at key positions on and off the field, including its head coach.

And while the Wolverines return some key personnel on the defensive side of the ball, they still have huge questions at quarterback, offensive line, and wide receiver.

Underrated: No. 23 USC

AP voters are still judging the Trojans by last season's defensive output and have apparently given up on their ability to make any noise in their Big Ten debut this fall.

The departure of quarterback Caleb Williams also played a role, but Miller Moss made a good-enough first impression as QB1 in the bowl to earn some preseason hype leading an offense that should be one of the faster units in its conference.

D'Anton Lynn steps into the defensive coordinator role with important returning talent in every phase of the unit and coming off leading UCLA's defense to a No. 10 national ranking. If Lynn can just make this an average unit, USC should take a big step forward.

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