College Football preseason AP Poll 2017: 5 teams ranked too low
Now that the 2017 preseason AP Poll has been released, we explore five teams pollsters picked too low in the preseason rankings.
We’ve passed another checkpoint on the road to the 2017 college football season: The Associated Press revealed its preseason Top 25. And, to no one’s surprise, the Alabama Crimson Tide will begin the season as the top ranked team in the nation.
Alabama received 52 first-place votes in the preseason poll, giving the Tide a large lead atop the rankings. Of course, the Crimson Tide will face No. 3 Florida State in Week 1 in Atlanta, putting both teams’ lofty standing in immediate jeopardy. The Seminoles received four first-place votes, which was the second-most in the nation, but Ohio State was given the second spot in the poll. The Buckeyes were voted No. 1 on three ballots.
Coming off its Rose Bowl victory, USC was slotted at No. 4 and received two No. 1 votes. Defending national champion Clemson was ranked fifth, while Penn State, Oklahoma, Washington, Wisconsin and Oklahoma State rounded out the Top 10. South Florida, ranked No. 19 was the only Group of Five school to make the cut.
The makeup of the Top 25 wasn’t all that surprising, but as always, some teams enter the season underrated, while others are overrated.
We’re less than a week to the official kickoff of the 2017 season, but before the festivities begin, we take a look at five teams ranked too low in the preseason AP Top 25.
Washington Huskies
AP Top 25 Preseason Ranking: No. 8
The Washington Huskies won the Pac-12 Conference title last year, and qualified for the College Football Playoff after finishing the regular season with a 12-1 overall record. Washington lost 24-7 to Alabama in the Peach Bowl national semifinal, and finished the season ranked No. 4 in the final AP Poll.
The Huskies welcome back starting quarterback and Heisman Trophy candidate quarterback Jake Browning, who completed 62.1 percent of his passes for 3,430 yards and 43 touchdowns and just nine interceptions. Though head coach Chris Petersen must replace explosive wide receiver John Ross, who led the team with 81 receptions, 1,150 yards and 17 touchdowns, there are plenty of offensive weapons available for Browning to work with.
Dante Pettis caught 53 passes for 822 yards and 15 touchdowns last season, and is a top 10 NFL prospect among receivers draft eligible receivers according to Todd McShay of ESPN. Chico McClatcher led the team with an 18.5-yard average on 31 receptions, and hauled in five TDs. Also, the Huskies return their top four rushers from last season, including Myles Gaskin, who gained 1,373 yards on the ground and scored 10 touchdowns.
In addition to the offensive skill position players coming back, the Huskies are sure to put up plenty of points thanks to an offensive line that includes three returning starters. Trey Adams is an All-American candidate at tackle, and center Coleman Shelton has All-Pac-12 talent as well. Plus, the Huskies have elite talent on defense. Keishawn Bierria and Azeem Victor are top NFL prospects at linebacker, as is Vita Vea at defensive tackle.
Finally, the schedule sets up nicely. Though the Huskies must travel to Palo Alto to face Pac-12 North contender No. 14 Stanford (who could make a strong case for this list) in November, Washington hosts the majority of its toughest conference games – UCLA, Oregon, Utah and Washington State – in Seattle.