Texas, North Carolina, and More — Ranking the Biggest Snubs and Overrated Teams in 2025 Preseason AP Poll

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The first AP Poll of the 2025 season is out, and the debate has already begun over which teams deserve their spots and which ones should be ranked higher or lower.

Here is a look at the biggest snubs and most overrated teams in the first top-25 poll of the season.

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Five Biggest Snubs in the Preseason Top 25

The first AP Poll is here, and it’s glorious, but there are undoubtedly some snubs on the list. While this is just the preseason poll and we’re still 12 days from the Week 0 slate, these rankings can influence how games are perceived.

With that said, here are the five teams that should have been included in the first top 25 of the 2025 season.

1) Navy Midshipmen

While it makes sense to have Boise State, the 2024 Group of Five champion, in the preseason top 25, Navy should undoubtedly be ranked here as well.

The Midshipmen return star quarterback Blake Horvath and 63% of their production from last season, coming off a year where they won 10 games. They will likely be contenders for a College Football Playoff spot by the end of the year.

2) Baylor Bears

The Baylor Bears are expected to be one of the top teams in the Big 12 in 2025. They return 78% of their offensive production from last year, led by Sawyer Robertson, Bryson Washington, and Josh Cameron as their top passer, rusher, and receiver.

The Big 12 is tough to predict this year, but with teams like Arizona State, Texas Tech, Kansas State, and Iowa State all receiving AP recognition, it only makes sense for the Bears to be ranked among them.

3) North Carolina Tar Heels

Bill Belichick’s squad has plenty of question marks heading into the 2025 season, but with the No. 9 transfer portal class in the country and Belichick’s coaching expertise, this team deserves more preseason attention.

That’s not to say the Tar Heels will be contending for an ACC title in Belichick’s first year, but they have a lot of talent and a strong case to be recognized as one of the top teams in the country.

4) Vanderbilt Commodores

While many might see Vanderbilt’s 2024 season as a fluke, the team showed it could compete in the SEC by beating both Auburn and Alabama last year.

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Heading into 2025, the Commodores return 70% of their production from the previous season, the eighth-best mark in college football. They likely won’t contend for an SEC title, but they have a solid case to be ranked among the top 25 teams heading into the season.

They might even make a bowl game for the second-straight year — a feat that hasn’t been accomplished by the ‘Dores since the 2012 and 2013 seasons.

5) Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets

Georgia Tech has a strong case to be one of the top three teams in the ACC alongside Clemson and Miami. While it’s understandable for SMU to be ranked ahead, given their College Football Playoff appearance in 2024, Georgia Tech deserves a spot in the top 25.

The Yellow Jackets rank 26th nationally in returning production and will be led by Haynes King, one of the most proven quarterbacks in the country. Coming off a 7-6 season and with head coach Brent Key bringing in the third-best recruiting class in the conference, Georgia Tech should be highly competitive this season.

Three Most Overrated Teams in the Preseason Top 25

Snubs are inevitable in any poll, but here’s a look at some teams that might be slightly overrated in the first top 25 of 2025.

1) #1 Texas Longhorns

The Longhorns are ranked No. 1 heading into the 2025 season, and it’s easy to see why. They’re loaded with talent and coming off a 13-win season that included a College Football Playoff semifinal appearance.

However, No. 1 feels a bit too high. Despite their talent, Texas returns only 45% of its production from 2024, ranking 103rd in the FBS. In addition, they have an unproven quarterback.

While Arch Manning is undoubtedly talented, he has only two career starts and still has a lot to prove. The Longhorns should be strong in 2025, but No. 1 seems a stretch given these factors.

2) #10 Miami Hurricanes

Much like Texas, the Hurricanes are loaded with talent, but much of their roster is unproven. They return just 55 percent of their production from last year.

In addition, their defense struggled in 2024, ranking 68th nationally and allowing 327 yards and 25 points per game. While they have a new defensive coordinator for 2025, many questions surround the team, making a top-ten ranking seem questionable.

3) #14 Michigan Wolverines

The Michigan Wolverines are coming off a disappointing 2024 season after winning the national title in 2023. They finished 8-5 last year and had the 113th-ranked offense in the country.

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Freshman five-star quarterback Bryce Underwood should help fix many of their offensive issues, but the Wolverines return only 64 percent of their defensive production from a year ago and lost key players like Mason Graham and Will Johnson to the NFL.

Michigan should improve in 2025 compared to 2024, but ranking them in the top 15 after finishing last season unranked seems a bit high.

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