The 2021 AP preseason top 25 college football poll was released. Here are the topics that matter with the overrated and underrated teams, and the winners and losers.
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– CFN Preview 2021: Team Previews, Rankings, Features
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2021 Preseason Top 25 Analysis
Overrated | Underrated | Oklahoma Respect
AP Poll is still fun | Winners & Losers
AP Preseason Top 25
5. Who is, technically, overrated in the 2021 AP Preseason Top 25 College Football Poll?
Everyone likes to say things are overrated and underrated, but who’s rating them? The AP is, so at least by projection – and it’s all subjective, obviously, compared to the CFN 2021 Preseason Rankings 1-130 – here are five possible overrated teams.
No. 8 Cincinnati
Cincinnati will end up being ranked high all season long considering it really is very, very good, and if it beats Notre Dame it’ll certainly be worth of the top ten call. However, it’s the yearly struggle when it comes to Group of Five programs.
Can Cincinnati beat the Irish? Absolutely. Can it beat Indiana, too? Yeah. But it’s the constant beatdown of Power Five team after Power Five team that makes the teams in the top conferences so strong. Again, this is a great Cincinnati team, but it’s also getting by rankings-wise a wee bit on a 2020 schedule without a win over a Power Five program.
How many American Athletic Conference teams are ranked in the top 25 besides Cincinnati? Exactly.
– Cincinnati Preview
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No. 10 North Carolina
It’s nitpicking time here – North Carolina is more like a top 15 team going into the season than top ten. Yes, it did a nice job reloading some of the key positions, and yes, Sam Howell will be some NFL team’s starting quarterback next year at this time, but the Tar Heels lost a whole lot of firepower off a team that went 8-4.
– North Carolina Preview
No. 17 Indiana
Like all preseason college football rankings, they’re based on what happened the year before, who’s returning, and a little bit of brand name momentum. However, Indiana finished last year losing to Ole Miss and – give the Hoosiers credit for getting the job done – was able to rock in a bad year for the Big Ten East.
Partially because QB Michael Penix Jr. – who should be okay – is just coming off a knee injury, and the East should be stronger, this is more of a fringe top 25 team than 17.
– Indiana Preview
No. 22 Coastal Carolina & No. 23 Louisiana
Right here, right now, you have to bet Junior’s juice money on Utah or Auburn or Michigan or Oklahoma State vs. Coastal Carolina or Louisiana … you’re not taking the Chanticleers or Ragin’ Cajuns with total certainty.
The Sun Belt stars are terrific, but this is getting a tad cheeky considering Liberty – who returns everyone and beat Coastal Carolina last year – is technically ranked 29th.
– Louisiana Preview | Coastal Carolina Preview
And then there are the …
2021 Preseason Top 25 Analysis
Underrated | Oklahoma Respect
AP Poll is still fun | Winners & Losers
AP Preseason Top 25