AP Top 25, college football
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At the AP, my job was to administer the poll, so I knew that as a first-time voter I'd be undertaking a challenge with no perfect answer.
There isn't a single college football program that holds a candle to Ohio State and its dominance in the AP Poll. Here are numbers to back it up.
Few programs in college football carry a wider range of outcomes than the USC Trojans in 2025. Depending on the projection, the Trojans could finish 11–1 and push for a Big Ten title or stumble to 6–6 and spark questions about USC coach Lincoln Riley.
The Longhorns received 25 first-place votes and 1,552 points in the rankings released Monday to edge past No. 2 Penn State in the closest preseason vote since 1998. The Nittany Lions have their best preseason ranking since they started No. 1 in 1997. Penn State received 23 first-place votes and 1,547 points.
Rece Davis Snubs Two Major College Football Programs In Preseason Top 25 Ballot originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Longtime ESPN "College GameDay" host Rece Davis submitted his AP Top 25 ballot for the 2025 college football season and its reveal draws immediate attention for leaving two SEC powers off his list.