2022 Preseason USA TODAY Coaches Poll Shuns Mountain West

Five Mountain West teams do earn votes

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Same old story for coaches poll

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The first official-ish college football poll is out this year with the USA TODAY coaches poll and it is full of the usual suspects.

The top has Alabama, Georgia, Ohio State, Clemson, and sprinkled through the top 25 are 23 of 25 teams from a power conference. The two outside the current Power Five include Houston and Cincinnati and those two are in the Big 12 next year.

This clearly means that there are no Mountain West teams in the top 25, which is a shame. San Diego State went 12-2 last year is getting the most votes, defending champion Utah State won 11 games and is returning its starting quarterback earned 12 points, as did Air Force.

Fresno State which arguably has the best quarterback and offense is second in line within the Mountain West with 21 points, and Boise State is getting 10 points.

The good news is that these five teams getting votes is the most ever within the conference, but a case could have been made for two to be ranked. My vote would have gone for San Diego State and Fresno State to be ranked, and the other three getting votes but just not there yet.

That is a big whiff because every single year there are about two teams ranked outside of the power leagues, but when the season ends there are around five that get ranked when it is all said and done.

There are a few teams that have no business being ranked. Texas is the main culprit coming in at No. 18 is the University of Texas who somehow earned a first-place vote. The Horns have talent but wins are lacking under that group. It just shows what a joke these polls are.

Pitt is also an odd choice to be ranked as they lost Kenny Pickett who arguably was their best quarterback since Dan Marino which is 40 years ago. Plus, they lost Jordan Addison who was the best wide receiver in college football last year.

USC at 15 is high with a new coach and a ton of portal talent that looks good on paper but we will see. Plus, their offensive and defensive lines need work and very little was added in that area.

Expect this to be sorted out, to a degree once games start playing.

The Associated Press top 25 comes out next week and we will see how the writers who cover the sport fare over coaches — or someone on their staff — who don’t really care vote.

Coaches Poll Top 25 (last year’s final ranking)

Also receiving votes: Iowa 248; Penn State 246; Tennessee 163; BYU 152; LSU 143; Auburn 98; UCF 55; North Carolina 34; San Diego State 25; Fresno State 21; Mississippi State 19; Florida 17; Utah State 12; Air Force 12; UCLA 10; Boise State 10; Appalachian State 10; Minnesota 6; South Carolina 5; Kansas State 4; Iowa State 3; Army 3; Louisiana 2; SMU 2; Purdue 2; Oregon State 2; Coastal Carolina 2; UTSA 1; Louisville 1; Florida State 1.

25 Houston Cougars (17)

24 Ole Miss Rebels (11)

23 Arkansas Razorbacks (20)

22 Cincinnati Bearcats (4)

21 Kentucky Wildcats (18)

20 Wisconsin Badgers (NR)

19 Wake Forest Demon Deacons (14)

18 Texas Longhorns (NR)

17 Miami Hurricanes (NR)

16 Pitt Panthers (13)

15 USC Trojans (NR)

14 Ole Miss Rebels (11)