Who's Too High, Who's Too Low: Discussing The Preseason Coaches Poll

It's that time of year again, college football fans: preseason poll release day!

Everyone loves the preseason polls in college football and no one has ever had any arguments about where their teams have been ranked, but just indulge me anyway as I break down who I think came in a little too high or a little too low.

This is guaranteed to piss off at least one high-profile fanbase, so let's get this list started.

Too High: Miami (10)

While I could entertain some arguments about Miami being a potential playoff team in 2025, having them in the preseason top-10 seems a little too bullish for me.

A lot of that has to do with what the Hurricanes lost on offense.

Cam Ward had a historic season in Coral Gables before being the number one overall pick in the 2025 NFL draft, while top pass-catching targets Elijah Arroyo and Xavier Restrepo also ended up heading to the league.

Throw in bruising running back Damien Martinez (NFL) and second-leading receiver Isiah Horton (transfer portal), and the Canes have a ton of production to replace.

Their defense was nothing to write home about, but fortunately they retained most of their talent on that side of the ball, save for middle linebacker and emotional leader Francisco Mauigoa and talented defensive end Tyler Baron.

We will find out if Miami is deserving of this ranking very early on, as the Canes play both Notre Dame and Florida in the first month of the season.

Too High: South Carolina (13)

South Carolina is a trendy pick for a lot of media members to be a College Football Playoff Cinderella, but I just don't think they're ready to make that kind of leap.

The Gamecocks return a true difference maker at quarterback in Lanorris Sellers and a game wrecker at the edge rushing spot with Dylan Stewart, but they rank 71st in returning production and face an absolutely brutal schedule in 2025.

If I am going to pick South Carolina to bust down the doors to the Playoff this season, I will need to see some playmakers like Nyck Harbor live up to his five-star billing so Sellers doesn't have to do it all himself.

The potential is there, but I need to see it for myself.

Too High: Ole Miss (15)

Similarly to South Carolina, Ole Miss isn't big on returning production, though most of theirs headed to the NFL.

On offense, the Rebels will have to find a way to replace their first-team All-SEC quarterback, Jaxson Dart, as well as their top pass catcher, Tre Harris.

But the defensive side of the ball is what really scares me if I am an Ole Miss fan.

The Rebels lost All-SEC contributors at all three levels of their defense last season, including Walter Nolen and Princley Umanmielen, both of whom were part of one of the best defensive lines in the country in 2024.

Unfortunately, the Rebels just don't recruit like Georgia or Ohio State to be able to reload after losing that many difference makers on both sides of the ball.

Too Low: Clemson (6)

The Clemson Tigers being ranked outside the top-five does not compute with me.

They return, in my opinion, the best established quarterback in college football in Cade Klubnik, and quite possibly the best receiver room in the country outside of Columbus, Ohio.

For all the talk about the loaded offense, Clemson's defense might be even better.

The Tigers' front seven will be a problem for any team to handle in the country, and cornerback Avieon Terrell is being projected as a first-round pick in next year's NFL Draft by many publications.

I think Clemson will win the ACC relatively easily this year and could very well be one of the top four seeds in the Playoff by season's end, so having them at sixth feels a little low, as much as that sounds like splitting hairs.

Too Low: Texas A&M (21)

You could make the argument Texas A&M should probably be a top-15 team to start the season.

Marcel Reed is coming off a phenomenal freshman campaign in which he was thrust into action early and often, and the Aggies are sixth overall in returning production.

Mike Elko's ability to coach a defense should mean A&M will be much improved on that side of the ball, and we can't forget the Aggies have stockpiled talent in plenty of the recent recruiting and transfer cycles.

I think the Aggies are being slept on and will surprise a lot of college football fans by the time December rolls around.

Too Low: Texas Tech (24)

Moving from the east end of the Lone Star State to the west side, Texas Tech is another team that isn't getting enough respect in the preseason polls.

You want returning production? You got it in Lubbock, as the Red Raiders rank top-five in that category.

How about a ridiculous influx of talent? Texas Tech has that in spades as well, with a second-ranked transfer class in 2025 to show for all the oil money they spent this winter.

Playing in a wide-open Big 12, I believe it will be the Red Raiders hoisting the conference championship trophy and punching their ticket to the College Football Playoff when all is said and done in league play.

Who did I leave out? Do you have a team that should've been ranked higher or lower? Let me know by emailing me at austin.perry@outkick.com.