RADIO
RotoBaller's top 25 college football preseason polls reaction. Underrated and overrated teams in the AP and Coaches Poll for 2025 CFB, including Miami.
Overrated and Underrated College Football Teams
All of the preseason polls are out, including the most important one: mine. Of course, I’m kidding, but there are some major discrepancies in the polls. Not just in mine, but between the Coaches Poll and the AP Poll.
We’re mostly going to focus on the difference between my rankings and those in both polls. If it’s only a few spots, it’s not that big of a deal. There is one place where all of us agreed. All of us had Texas ranked at the top. The AP and Coaches polls flip-flopped Penn State and Ohio State. I have Penn State second, but a different third-ranked team.
Overrated: Miami (FL)
AP Rank: 10 — Coaches Rank: 10
Our Rank: 21
I have questions about Carson Beck’s elbow and Miami’s ability to replace Xavier Restrepo. Add in the losses of Cam Ward — the first overall pick in the NFL draft — and RB Damien Martinez, and we may have issues with Miami’s offense.
Miami’s schedule is rather favorable. They don’t have to play the Georgia Tech team that beat them last year. They also dodge Clemson and don’t have a game west of Dallas this year. The harder games (Notre Dame and Florida) are self-imposed, and both are at home. In fact, Miami doesn’t leave the state of Florida for a game until November. There’s a chance that Miami’s record is near what it was last year, but the team itself will likely not be as potent or efficient on offense. That could cause them to lose a game or three that we don’t expect them to.
Overrated: Notre Dame
AP Rank: 6 — Coaches Rank: 5
Our Rank: 14
The coaches and writers are more convinced that the rest of Notre Dame is good enough to make up for the lack of experience at QB. It is worth noting that I also missed on Notre Dame last year. The loss to NIU in September had me thinking that my ranking was closer to the truth, but the Irish rallied and didn’t lose another regular-season game.
The same thing may happen this year. I know that Notre Dame is a well-coached team and that Jeremiyah Love might be the best returning RB in college football. It is also true that Notre Dame’s schedule is tougher than last season. The Irish open with Miami on the road and Texas A&M in Atlanta. If CJ Carr can’t keep the offense going, the Irish could start like 2024 Florida State.
Overrated: Michigan
AP Rank: 14 — Coaches Rank: 14
Our Rank: 22
Michigan’s punishment came down from the NCAA today, and it’s about what we expected. It lines the pockets of the NCAA and caters to the TV contracts. There will be no postseason bans or vacating wins. On top of that, no other coaches were fired. I get not punishing the current players for the transgressions of the past, that the NCAA was fond of for so many years, but how many programs do you know that wouldn’t pay $20 million for a championship?
The good news is that Michigan won’t look any different this year. The bad news is that freshman Bryce Underwood is still going to start at quarterback. Alabama transfer Justice Haynes is tasked with replacing Donovan Edwards and Kalel Mullings. That’s a lot of missing production from an offense that was average last year anyway.
Underwood, despite the freshman mistakes he will undoubtedly make, is going to be better than Davis Warren and Alex Orji combined. The Wolverines will be better at QB, especially in the latter half of the season when a lot of that is out of Underwood’s system. Can the running game continue to grind opponents down with Haynes and Jordan Marshall?
Overrated: Oregon
AP Rank: 7 — Coaches Rank: 7
Our Rank: 13
Oregon loses Dillon Gabriel, Jordan James, Evan Stewart, and Tez Johnson from a team that ran the Big Ten table last year. That’s just on the offensive side. Adding Bear Alexander on defense could be big if the team can keep him engaged and interested.
My issue isn’t with the defense. It’s with the offense. Dante Moore showed some promise at UCLA in 2023 as a freshman, but he also made a ton of mistakes. Maybe sitting a year behind a guy like Gabriel was good for him. Maybe Tulane transfer Makhi Hughes can replace the production of James. Maybe Dakorien Moore is really as good as scouts say he is as a true freshman.
If all of those statements are true and Florida State transfer Malik Benson can replace Stewart, Oregon is a playoff team once again. If any part of this goes sideways, Oregon is not a Top-10 team. That’s a lot to ask from an inexperienced QB and a true freshman receiver.
Overrated: Arizona State
AP Rank: 11 — Coaches Rank: 11
Our Rank: 15
This isn’t that big of a difference. The only reason I can think of for the difference is that I think the loss of Cam Skattebo is a bigger deal than the coaches and writers do. What Sam Leavitt did as a freshman is impressive, and this defense is still very good, but this team relied so much on Skattebo last year and almost lost to Central Florida when he left the game with an injury. I know that ASU was one blown call from beating Texas, but Skattebo was the main reason for that.
Overrated: Boise State
AP Rank: 25 — Coaches Rank: 25
Our Rank: NR
I know that the pros and official rankers don’t value running backs anymore, but I fail to see how this offense is going to be as good as last year without a guy like Ashton Jeanty ripping off big chunks of yards. Right now, I have Boise third in my Group of 5 rankings. They are behind Memphis and UTSA.
Overrated: Illinois
AP Rank: 12 — Coaches Rank: 12
Our Rank: 23
One of the three of us is very wrong about the Illini. I’m nervous about not ranking them, considering how well they played down the stretch last season. However, Luke Altmyer is about all that remains of that Illinois offense. It took the Illini a while to hit their stride last year. They did almost nothing to replace WRs Pat Bryant and Zakhari Franklin. The run game is still strong, which is a must in the Big Ten (18). I have a feeling that I’m underweight on Illinois.
Underrated: Georgia Tech
AP Rank: NR — Coaches Rank: NR
Our Rank: 24
We saw the improvement that QB Haynes King and RB Jamal Haynes made from 2023 to 2024. They are both back for another season. WR Malik Rutherford is gone, but FIU transfer Eric Rivers might be just as good. This team toppled Miami last year and took Georgia to eight overtimes. I’ll be shocked if the Bees don’t finish the season ranked.
Underrated: South Carolina
AP Rank: 13 — Coaches Rank: 13
Our Rank: 9
There isn’t a huge difference here, and I have my qualms about leaving South Carolina this high. However, we saw the improvement in Sellers down the stretch last year. The defense is underrated, and Utah State transfer Rahsul Faison might be as good as Rocket Sanders. The schedule is set up for South Carolina to make a run. The Cocks get Alabama and Clemson both at home.
Underrated: Memphis (CP 34, AP 39, MM 25)
AP Rank: NR — Coaches Rank: NR
Our Rank: 25
I have Memphis as my top Group of 5 team right now, thanks to the additions of QB Brendon Lewis and WR Cortez Braham Jr. from Nevada. RB Frank Peasant from Middle Tennessee State is an underrated get from the portal. This offense shouldn’t miss a beat from last year. Can the defense — which features 10 starters who weren’t even on the team last year — get Memphis to the CFP? The Coaches’ Poll has Boise ahead of Memphis. The AP has Boise, Tulane, and Toledo in front of Memphis. I disagree.
Underrated: Iowa State
AP Rank: 22 — Coaches Rank: 21
Our Rank: 16
Replacing Jaylin Noel and Jayden Higgins will be difficult, but you would be hard-pressed to find a better RB room in the Big 12 (16). The offensive line and the defense are still tough. The Cyclones did hit the portal for Xavier Townsend (Central Florida) and Chase Sowell (East Carolina). They aren’t Noel and Higgins, but they may not have to be. TE Benjamin Brahmer looked good down the stretch, and WR Brett Eskildsen wasn’t a bad third WR wheel last year.
Underrated: LSU
AP Rank: 9 — Coaches Rank: 9
Our Rank: 4
I’m probably giving Brian Kelly too much credit, but Garrett Nussmeier’s 2024 was very similar to Joe Burrow’s 2018. Adding Barion Brown (Kentucky) and Nic Anderson (Oklahoma) to an already potent Aaron Anderson makes this one of the better WR rooms in the country. Caden Durham was a horse in the last two months of the season. There is a lot to like about the LSU offense. The defense isn’t too bad either.
Underrated: Mississippi
AP Rank: 21 — Coaches Rank: 15
Our Rank: 12
New QB Austin Simmons is in Year 3 of this system and has looked much better than other new starting quarterbacks on ranked teams. I know that summer camp isn’t everything, but this team was one slip against Kentucky from the CFP last year. Given all of Lane Kiffin’s jawing during the first round of the CFP, I think the team shows up for him.
Adding WRs De’Zhaun Stribling (Texas Tech) and Harrison Wallace III (Penn State) were two of the best portal receivers available. Add to that how good the Land Shark defense is expected to be, and it’s not hard to see Ole Miss in the top 12.
Underrated: Florida State
AP Rank: NR — Coaches Rank: NR
Our Rank: 26
Yes, Florida State could go belly-up again in 2025 and have this transfer-laden roster give up again. It could happen. Mike Norvell rallying the troops could also happen. It feels like most have forgotten how good Thomas Castellanos was at Boston College as a freshman in 2023. If Florida State wins all of the games that they should, this is an 8-4 team, which is just good enough to crack the top 25.
Underrated: Florida
AP Rank: 15 — Coaches Rank: 17
Our Rank: 5
I was really impressed with QB DJ Lagway and RB Jadan Baugh as freshmen. The Gators have another very talented freshman (WR Dallas Wilson) who is ready to contribute right away. This WR room (Wilson, Eugene Wilson III, and J. Michael Sturdivant from UCLA) is better than most think. I may be a year early on Florida, and the schedule is tough, but if everything breaks right, the Gators are a contender.
Underrated: Indiana
AP Rank: 20 — Coaches Rank: 19
Our Rank: 7
Hear me out. This year’s Indiana could be…Indiana. Cal transfer Fernando Mendoza is better at this point in his career than last year’s starter, Kurtis Rourke. Maryland transfer Roman Hemby will pair with Kaelon Black to keep this RB room well above average. Jonathan Brady made the trip east with Mendoza to pair with Omar Cooper Jr. and Elijah Sarratt. Not only is this offense as good as last year, but it might be even better!
Underrated: Baylor
AP Rank: NR — Coaches Rank: NR
Our Rank: 10
Baylor won its last six Big 12 (16) games last year and was a Shedeur Sanders Hail Mary away from beating Colorado. The switch from Dequan Finn to Sawyer Robertson and the emergence of Bryson Washington at running back propelled the Bears into the thick of the Big 12 (16) race. With Texas Tech losing Tahj Brooks, Arizona State losing Cam Skattebo, Iowa State losing two 1,000-yard receivers, and Colorado losing two of the top three Heisman Trophy finalists, it’s not hard to see the Bears as a favorite this year. They didn’t lose much.
