AP Top 25 voters rank Florida and South Carolina despite multiple losses

The Associated Press Top 25 poll drew sharp criticism this week after its latest voting placed several teams in rankings that, according to an OutKick Sports column, do not reflect their results. The piece argues that voters are giving SEC teams preferential treatment and leaning on preseason reputations rather than on what has happened on the field this season.

The column singles out Florida, which is ranked despite three losses: a 45-17 defeat at Missouri, a 38-19 loss to South Carolina and a 27-8 loss to Georgia on the most recent Saturday. Florida does have two notable wins, over Ole Miss and Texas, but the writer contends those results do not justify a ranking given how the Gators have been beaten. South Carolina, also at three losses, is ranked No. 23 after a win over Oklahoma. The Gamecocks lost to Mississippi State and Kentucky and were blown out 49-18 by Alabama, though they did beat Tennessee.

Texas, ranked No. 10, has two losses, to Oklahoma and at home to Florida, and its best wins are a narrow escape over Ohio State and a victory over Ole Miss. Missouri is ranked No. 19 despite a 31-3 loss to Ole Miss and a defeat to Mississippi State. The column also notes that Texas Tech, at No. 13, has a single loss, at Cincinnati, and that Northwestern, with two close losses to Indiana and Oregon, is unranked.

On Notre Dame, the writer questions why the Irish sit at No. 4 ahead of undefeated UCLA and Indiana, which has one loss, to Ohio State. Notre Dame is 7-1, with its only tough test a road loss at BYU, and its wins have come against Wisconsin, Rice, Michigan State, Purdue, North Carolina, Stanford and Navy. The column argues UCLA's unbeaten record, including wins over Wisconsin and at Oregon, should count for more.

The author ties the rankings to a broader point about college football. Coaches in the SEC, including Lane Kiffin, have complained this offseason about the move to a nine-game conference schedule and have pushed for scheduling treatment, while the writer contends the league is already receiving it. The column also argues that player compensation under NIL and the transfer portal have made teams less talent-distinct than before, so reputation should count for less. It adds that the AP poll influences the College Football Playoff selection committee, which is why, in the writer's view, the voting matters beyond the poll itself.

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Derek Weston

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Derek Weston covers public affairs, politics, business, culture and daily news for Core Memo. The role focuses on verification, context, and clear explanations for readers.

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