The 2025 Pre-Season Coaches Poll and AP Top 25 have finally been released as we inch closer to Week One.
The top 5 is a no brainer for both polls, highlighted by powerhouses Texas, Ohio State, Georgia, and Penn State. The top 10 finishes out with other notable teams expected to be in the college football playoffs with Clemson, Notre Dame, Oregon, Alabama, and LSU.
The remaining schools in the top 25 are a mix of question marks, uncertainty, and subjective expectations. One thing stands out from both polls in regards to the remaining schools: where is Mizzou?
Mizzou is coming off of back to back 10 win seasons and landed a top 10 transfer portal class for the 2025 season. Not only have they been a dominant team that continues to trend upward, they have retooled to not lose a step heading into the upcoming season. But the media is leaning towards teams who were abysmal in 2024 because of how their transfer classes landed.
Oklahoma and Florida both are within the top 20 teams ranked, but for what reason? Oklahoma had a good transfer class but finished 2024 with a horrendous 6-7 record. Florida is solely riding on DJ Lagway's potential when he had a 57.9 QBR last season with 12 TD and 9 INT.
When the media can't decide between Florida being a top 10 threat or firing Billy Napier, then maybe they should not be a pre-season ranked team until they can prove they belong.
South Carolina, Ole Miss, and Tennessee all deserve to be placed in the Top 25 and above Mizzou. But is Mizzou that far off from these teams? South Carolina has arguably the best QB in all of College Football and arguably the best defensive player too.
That is all they have heading into 2025 with everyone overlooking the entire roster. Ole Miss had to replace almost their entire roster in the transfer portal which is unstable and unrealistic to maintain consistent winning.
Tennessee is a very talented team that is ranked too low at 24th. What makes the most sense is to remove one of the vague Big 12 teams who is listed in the rankings because the conference is a giant cluster of what if.
Move Tennesse up to where they actually belong, and place Mizzou in the 20-25 range where they also belong.