Well, well, well.
And that’s an awfully deep subject.
What a shock that the Georgia Bulldogs – who missed out on the College Football Playoff last year, but completely blasted Florida State in the bowl game – will begin the season as the Associated Press’ No. 1 team?
A shock probably to absolutely no one.
Ohio State, on the other hand, who we last saw leaving Arlington after falling in the Cotton Bowl to Missouri, is No. 2.
Here’s the AP poll as we’ll open the season (NCAA College Football Rankings: AP Top 25 Football Poll), and the top five are the aforementioned Bulldogs and Buckeyes, followed by Oregon at number three, with newly-minted quarterback Dillon Gabriel (not really; it’s his third school, after Central Florida and Oklahoma), then Texas, and Alabama at No. 5.
Ole Miss is the Southeastern Conference’s fourth member in the top 10. The Rebels check in at six, followed by Notre Dame at seven, then Penn State, defending national champion Michigan all the way down at nine, and Florida State at No. 10.
Coach Mike Norvell’s Seminoles have the distinction of opening the season in Zero Week in Ireland in the Aer Lingus Kickoff Classic at Aviva Stadium in Dublin this Saturday, in an ACC game, no less, against Georgia Tech.
And hey, that’s no gimmie. Georgia Tech is tough these days, with Texas A&M transfer Haynes King now at quarterback.
Voters in the AP Poll are Aaron McMann, Adam Cole, Adam Zucker, Alex Taylor, Amie Just, Andy Yamashita, Blair Kerkhoff, Bob Asmussen, Bob Ballou, Brenna Greene, Brett McMurphy, Brian Fonseca, Brian Howell, Chip Towers, Chris Murray, Cody Nespor, Creg Stephenson, Damien Sordelette, Dave Preston, David Briggs, David Jablonski, David Paschall, Dylan Synn, Emily Leiker, Eric Hansen, Garland Gillen, Greg Madia, Henry Greenstein, Ian Kress, James Williams, Joe Aruda, John Clay, John Steppe, Johnny McGonigal, Jon Wilner, Jordan Crammer, Jordan McPherson, Josh Furlong, Karley Marotta, Kate Rogerson, Kayla Anderson, Kirk Boles, Kirk Kenney, Kokie Riley, Mason Young, Matt Baker, Matt Brown, Matt Murschel, Michael Katz, Michael Lev, Mike Hill, Pete Yanity, Randy Johnson, Rece Davis, Ron Counts, Sean Reider, Stephen Means, Steve Wiesman, Steven Johnson, Tom Murphy, Trevor Hass, and Zach Klein.
See the rest of the AP Poll below.
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS TOP 25
1. Georgia (1,532) vs. Clemson in Atlanta, Aug. 31 |
2. Ohio State (1,490) vs. Akron, Aug. 31 |
3. Oregon (1,403) vs. Idaho, Aug. 31 |
4. Texas (1,386) vs. Colorado State, Aug. 31 |
5. Alabama (1,260) vs. Western Kentucky, Aug. 31 |
6. Ole Miss (1,189) vs. Furman, Aug. 31 |
7. Notre Dame (1,122) at Texas A&M, Aug. 31 |
8. Penn State (1,060) at West Virginia, Aug. 31 |
9. Michigan (995) vs. Fresno State, Aug. 31 |
10. Florida State (971) vs. Georgia Tech (at Aviva Stadium, Dublin, Ireland), Aug. 31 |
11. Missouri (927) vs. Murray State, Aug. 29 |
12. Utah (887) vs. Southern Utah, Aug. 29 |
13. LSU (804) vs. Southern Cal (at Las Vegas), Sept. 1 |
14. Clemson (689) vs. Georgia (in Atlanta), Aug. 31 |
15. Tennessee (629) vs. Chattanooga, Aug. 31 |
16. Oklahoma (566) vs. Temple, Aug. 31 |
17. Oklahoma State (538) vs. South Dakota State, Aug. 31 |
18. Kansas State (526) vs. Tennessee-Martin, Aug. 31 |
19. Miami (492) at Florida, Aug. 31 |
20. Texas A&M (292) vs. Notre Dame, Aug. 31 |
21. Arizona (237) vs. New Mexico, Aug. 31 |
22. Kansas (231) vs. Lindenwood, Aug. 31 |
23. Southern Cal (172) vs. LSU (in Las Vegas), Sept. 2 |
24. North Carolina State vs. Western Carolina, Aug. 29 |
25. Iowa (140) vs. Illinois State, Aug. 31 |