AP Top 25 Poll Draws Criticism for Ranking Florida and South Carolina Despite Three Losses Each

Florida lost 27-8 to Georgia on Saturday. It was the Gators' third defeat of the season, and the AP Top 25 poll released afterward still has them ranked. That is the starting point for an OutKick column, published by Fox News, which argues that the poll's voters are leaning on brand names and conference logos rather than results.

The columnist's case against Florida is specific. The Gators have two good wins, over Ole Miss and Texas, but three losses that he describes as blowouts: 45-17 at Missouri, 38-19 to South Carolina, and the 27-8 loss to Georgia. He says a team with three close losses might deserve a spot. These were not close, and he writes that Florida would not be ranked if it did not wear the SEC patch.

South Carolina is No. 23 with three losses of its own. The column says the Gamecocks climbed into the poll by beating a mediocre Oklahoma team. They have lost to Mississippi State and Kentucky, and were beaten 49-18 by Alabama. They did beat Tennessee, but the author sees little to justify a ranking with three losses this early.

The contrast he draws is Northwestern, which is unranked with two losses, both close: one to Indiana and one to an Oregon team he calls still feisty. He also points to Missouri at No. 19, whose résumé he calls unimpressive. The Tigers were beaten 31-3 by Ole Miss and lost to Mississippi State, and their win over Florida looks weaker now that the Gators have collapsed.

Texas is No. 10, despite losses to Oklahoma and, at home, to Florida. The Longhorns also have a narrow escape against Ohio State and a win over Ole Miss. Texas Tech is No. 13 with one loss, a bad one at Cincinnati, and two wins over ranked opponents in a Big 12 the author calls surprisingly strong.

He does not limit the complaint to the SEC. Notre Dame is No. 4 at 7-1, with wins over Wisconsin, Rice, Michigan State, Purdue, North Carolina, Stanford and Navy. Its one loss came at BYU, its only difficult game by his account. Ahead of the Irish sit neither undefeated UCLA nor one-loss Indiana. Indiana's only defeat was a close one to Ohio State, with Julian Sayin at quarterback. UCLA is the only unbeaten team in the Big Ten or SEC, with a home win over Wisconsin and a road win over Oregon, which the author says is hard to separate from Notre Dame's schedule.

He also ties the rankings to the public complaints of coaches. Lane Kiffin and Kalen DeBoer's Alabama counterpart is not named, but he names Sarkisian alongside Kiffin as coaches who spent weeks protesting the SEC's nine-game schedule and demanding consideration, while, he says, the poll was already giving it. He adds that the SEC and Big Ten are less talented than in past years, that NIL and the transfer portal have flattened the sport, and that Indiana's national championship should have taught voters not to extend the benefit of the doubt to traditional powers.

This is an opinion piece, and the judgments about quality are the author's. The practical stakes are real, though. He expects the AP poll to shape how the College Football Playoff selection committee views teams, and says it should not. He acknowledges some of the problems will sort themselves out as November games are played.