My final rankings of the season and why some AP poll teams were not included in the Top 25:
TOP 25
- Georgia Bulldogs 14-1
- Alabama Crimson Tide 13-2
- Michigan Wolverines 12-2
- Ohio State Buckeyes 11-2
- Oklahoma State Cowboys 12-2
- Baylor Bears 12-2
- Ole Miss Rebels 10-3
- Utah Utes 10-4
- Cincinnati Bearcats 13-1
- Notre Dame Fighting Irish 11-2
- Michigan State Spartans 11-2
- Oklahoma Sooners 11-2
- Pittsburgh Panthers 11-3
- Arkansas Razorbacks 9-4
- Texas A&M Aggies 8-4
- NCST Wolfpack 9-3
- Clemson Tigers 10-3
- Wake Forest Demon Deacons 11-3
- Wisconsin Badgers 9-4
- Purdue Boilermakers 9-4
- Kentucky Wildcats 10-3
- Houston Cougars 12-2
- Tennessee Volunteers 7-6
- Mississippi State Bulldogs 7-6
- Oregon Ducks 10-4
Why Didn’t I Include Some Teams Picked By the AP Poll?
The AP Poll had Louisiana at 16, BYU at 19, Iowa at 23, Utah State at 24, and San Diego State at 25. All of them were close to making the cut for me, but in the end, I don’t think they would win head to head against some of the teams that were on the cusp of missing. Louisiana had a fantastic season, but did not beat anybody good. Their best wins were against Appalachian State twice. Despite BYU and San Diego State both beating Utah early in the season, Utah was not starting Cam Rising at QB at the time. Utah was only good when they had Rising at QB. BYU was not impressive in their bowl game, and their best win might be against Utah State. San Diego State was demolished by Utah State in their biggest game of the season, and they had some good but not great wins against Air Force and Nevada. Iowa did not make it because their offense was atrocious. They also had way too many close games. Out of their ten wins 5 of them were single digits and 3 of those close ones were against teams with losing records. Utah State did not make it because their strength of schedule wasn’t quite good enough. They beat Air Force and San Diego State, but that’s basically it.
The Rest of the Top 50
26. BYU Cougars 10-3
27. Louisiana Rajun Cajuns 13-1
28. Minnesota Golden Gophers 9-4
29. San Diego State Aztecs 12-2
30. Penn State Nittany Lions 7-6
31. Iowa Hawkeyes 10-4
32. Utah State Aggies 11-3
33. South Carolina Gamecocks 7-6
34. Arizona State Sun Devils 8-5
35. Iowa State Cyclones 7-6
36. UCLA Bruins 8-4
37. Air Force Falcons 10-3
38. Fresno State Bulldogs 10-3
39. Auburn Tigers 6-7
40. Army Black Knights 9-4
41. Kansas State Wildcats 8-5
42. Miami (FL) Hurricanes 7-5
43. UTSA Road Runners 12-2
44. Western Kentucky Hilltoppers 9-5
45. Appalachian State Mountaineers 10-4
46. Washington State Cougars 7-6
47. LSU Tigers 6-7
48. Texas Tech Red Raiders 7-6
49. Georgia State Panthers 8-5
50. UAB Blazers 9-4
JacobErwin.com 