Six overrated teams from Week 3 college football AP top 25 poll

The Associated Press released a top 25 for college football this week, as is typically the case, and there are just some teams that have no business ranking as high as they do. Let's discuss those squads and why college football's collective media is a little too high on them at this point in the season.

Starting at No. 2 overall...

2. Penn State

Sorry to do it to a fine program that is justifiably in the middle of the national championship discussion, but let's be honest: Why is Penn State ranked No. 2? The reasons have everything to do with last season.

The Nittany Lions made it to the Final Four of the CFP in its first year expanded to 12 teams and then returned their star QB plus elite RB tandem, in addition to a slew of important defensive pieces coming back. But through two games, all James Franklin's club has done is beat up on Nevada and FIU. You just look at LSU behind them and see a program with a win of quality, so why reward the squad who hasn't won jack? This isn't a put-down of PSU the team, but rather a question of why are we rewarding them before they've even done anything?

8. Notre Dame

Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman | MICHAEL CLUBB/SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

We don't want to crush Notre Dame for their close yet failed comeback attempt in a three-point Week 1 loss at Miami, because college football ought to encourage those sorts of non-conference matchups. However, it's hard to justify ranking a team in the top 10 of the country when they have zero wins entering Week 3.

Now, that's because ND took a bizarre Week 2 bye for one of their two off weekends this season and are 0-1 ahead of an enormous home rematch against Texas A&M after the Irish knocked off the Aggies in Mike Elko's opener a year ago. Win that one and we don't dock ND any further, but lose, and how far, exactly, should an 0-2 Notre Dame club fall? We might cross that bridge on this post next week!

12. Clemson

Clemson remains ranked in the top 15 for one reason and one reason only: they were ranked in the top-10 to start the year. You simply cannot overstate the importance of preseason perception, because every year it allows teams to hold on to a reputation they never earned.

They were literal paper Tigers but actual cowards on the field so far in 2025, getting pushed around for all 30 minutes of the second half of their home loss to LSU to open the season, and then needing about 50 full minutes to separate frm Troy in their Week 2 win on Saturday. 12th in the country... for that? That's banking on expectation, not reality.

22. Indiana

This list is littered with Big Ten teams, so apologies to the Big Ten fans. But let's look at the facts, no other league is spraying the top-25 with teams who haven't beaten a power conference opponent. So yeah, when Indiana made the College Football Playoff last year, let's be honest, it was because their schedule stunk out loud.

Why is Indiana ranked No. 22 right now? Because they were solid last year and got to face Old Dominion and Kennesaw State out of the shoot. This program ducked Virginia in the non-conference and hasn't beaten a ranked college football program under head coach Curt Cignetti. Let's start respecting Indiana after they knock off an actual top-25 squad.

23. Michigan

Early in the year, you could point to two-thirds of the teams in the AP top 25 and pick a bone over an empty resume, so we know this isn't uncharted territory with other teams. BUT, what has Michigan shown through the Sherrrone Moore era to warrant any sort of digit next to their name on Saturdays?

Michigan trudged its way to an abysmal year of production on the offensive side of the football last fall and used their voodoo magic to beat Ohio State to save an otherwise horrible championship defense. Now, they completed nine passes and scored 13 points in a high-profile loss vs. an Oklahoma program who isn't necessarily in love with their coach either (though they're coming around now). It's time for Sherrone Moore to show the world something in 2025.

NR. Florida - 70 votes

Does anyone remember Evan McMillan? The strange dude from Utah who ran for president and convinced a faction of American voters to write him in on the ballot? A cute story, but after all, if you cast your vote for the guy, it went down the drain. That's how 70 votes for Florida football feel in the AP Poll after the start they've had.

Florida ran the score up 55-0 against LIU — yippie! — but just lost at home to South Florida in a game where their offensive line played well enough to earn PFF's honor for OL of the Week, yet mustered just one offensive touchdown all night as the Bulls kicked a game-winning chip shot field goal as time expired to secure one of the biggest victories in program history.

70 votes for what? If Billy Napier had a track record of top-25 success, you could understand some early-season benefit of the doubt. But he never earned that privilege and certainly shouldn't get it after a home loss to an AAC foe.