The voters in the preseason US LBM Coaches Poll have weighed in, and the Top 25 is now out for fans and pundits to debate until they actually take the field in a few weeks.
Preseason polls are speculative, of course, and trying to figure out which teams aren’t ranked but perhaps should be is even more of a crapshoot. To further clarify, none of the five teams listed here were truly snubbed, as they were all mentioned on multiple ballots. But here are a few notable programs that will start the season outside the poll but might at some point be ranked.
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OUTLOOKS: Breaking down every Top 25 team in poll
Oklahoma
Left out of the preseason poll for the first time since 1999, the Sooners nearly gave the SEC a record 10th team in the Top 25, missing the rankings by just 25 poll points. Unlike some teams on this list, however, Oklahoma will have ample opportunities to prove its worthiness of receiving poll votes, starting in Week 2 when the Sooners take on No. 14 Michigan. Most of the issues in Norman for the last couple of seasons have been on the offensive side of the ball, so Oklahoma’s long-term staying power this season will largely hinge on the performance of transfer quarterback John Mateer.
Utah
Our coaches poll panelists had widely varied opinions on the Utes, ranging from top 10 to off the ballot altogether. Utah can usually be counted on to field a competent defense, even if coach Kyle Whittingham is nearing the end of a highly successful career. The issue over the last couple of years has been quarterback instability as Cam Rising never was able to get back on the field. The hope is that situation has now been addressed with the arrival of New Mexico transfer Devon Dampier. With several quality teams but no true juggernauts, the Big 12 offers opportunities for improvement.
Iowa
Stop us if you’ve heard this one before – The Hawkeyes seemingly win 8-to-10 games every year and could possibly do even more with just a slight uptick in offensive production. The hopes in Iowa City this year rest with Mark Gronowski, who arrives after putting up huge numbers at Championship Subdivision power South Dakota State. If the defense and kicking game continue to be strengths, watch out.
Georgia Tech
In case you’ve forgotten – and it seems some of the voters have – this team was just a play away from derailing Georgia in the regular-season finale and causing massive disruptions in the playoff picture. Unlike the teams noted above, the Yellow Jackets are set at QB. Haynes King, whose collegiate career began at Texas A&M, can be one of the top signal callers in the ACC when healthy, and his backfield mate Jamal Haynes is also back. The issue now is developing more depth around them and coming up with just a few more defensive stops.
Memphis
We could have designated this entry to the entire American Conference, none of whose members got enough support from the voters to make the preseason poll. The Tigers were featured in this space a year ago and did in fact win 11 games but came up short of the conference title. Ryan Silverfield and his staff certainly know how to develop talent, but the offense is in need of a complete rebuild with mainstay QB Seth Henigan and a slew of other starters lost to graduation. The schedule is manageable, however, so Memphis could string together enough wins to pick up a ranking at some point during the season.