College football rankings: Every overrated and underrated team in the latest AP Top 25

The new AP top 25 poll was released on Sunday following Week 3 of the college football season and, you guessed it, it was another polarizing poll by the AP voters. This week’s poll features a lot of movement in the top 10. Texas A&M took a massive tumble in the rankings down to No. 23, though they’re still ranked. They had the largest dip this week. LSU is still in the top 10 after its loss to Ole Miss. With the win, the Rebels moved up into the top 5. 

With all the movement in the AP poll, there are still some teams getting too much credit and others that should be getting more. Here’s a look at the overrated and underrated teams in the latest AP top 25 poll ahead of Week 4. 

Every overrated team in the AP top 25 poll this week

No. 11 Texas Tech Red Raiders

The AP voters showed us this season that not all wins are treated the same and with Michigan’s volatility this year. It makes you wonder why Texas Tech moved up two spots after nearly beating Houston. The Cougars dropped from No. 22 to No. 25 in the latest poll after the loss. Texas Tech didn’t look good at all in the win and losing their quarterback is proving to be more of a problem than they’re willing to give it credit for. 

I’m not saying Texas Tech should have dropped significantly after beating Houston, but they aren’t a fringe top 10 team in college football. The Thomas Castellanos experiment is going horribly with him throwing an interception on his only pass attempt of the game. Will Hammond looked noticeably better, but the passing offense just wasn’t that threatening. The Red Raiders won’t have a tough conference slate, but they’re a team that, like last year, they’re going to get exposed for beating weak teams. 

No. 13 Penn State Nittany Lions

Penn State is continuing to climb up the rankings while not really showing they’re a legitimate contender this year. Their three wins this season are against Marshall, Temple and Buffalo. That’s not really a top 15 quality schedule. In conference play, their toughest games are against USC and Michigan. They have to win those if they want to prove they deserve to be in the College Football Playoff conversation. I just don’t see how Penn State can get into the CFP with its weak schedule with a loss to either USC or Michigan. 

The Nittany Lions struggled against Temple early this season which they weren’t punished for, and it showed that if they don’t play their best in every game, it could cost them a win they should get. Penn State is a wild card in the CFP race so they can’t afford to have many slip ups. 

No. 16 Louisville Cardinals

Louisville is off to a 2-1 start after beating SMU on Saturday. It’s their first ranked win of the season after losing to Ole Miss in their season opener. Louisville is a good team and I’m not taking anything away from them, but they moved up seven spots after beating an SMU team that barely beat Florida State. I think Louisville is a really good team. That said, they don’t have the schedule that justifies moving them up this high in the poll. 

I think Louisville can prove they’re a legitimate contender, but we’ll need to see how they handle an easy conference slate. They had a strong non-conference slate to start the year and passed that test. Even with a three-point loss to Ole Miss, they proved competing against the good teams isn’t a problem. Their ranking means they need to run the conference slate too otherwise winning those early season non-conference games really won’t mean much. 

Every underrated team in the AP top 25 poll this week

No. 24 Mississippi State Bulldogs

I’m not saying Mississippi State should be ranked higher by any means, but I will say, they’re a really good team and they’re showing the rest of college football just how good they are, specifically Kamario Taylor. The Bulldogs are ranked for the first time this season and will take a 3-0 record into the most important part of their schedule. They’ll have Missouri, Alabama and LSU (in that order) over the next month of the season. That stretch will determine if they’re just that good or if they’re overrated.

No. 21 Florida Gators

Florida is back in the top 25 for the first time this season and it’s proof they needed to get out of the Billy Napier era to finally turn the corner. Jon Sumrall has turned things around for the better and picked up the biggest win of his first year in Gainesville, taking down Auburn on Saturday. Those types of games are what sets the tone for the season and with Ole Miss up this week, Florida could be putting Ole Miss on upset alert. 

The Rebels are fresh off an emotional win over LSU. That said, this game against Florida could derail their season like it did a couple of seasons ago. In Jaxson Dart’s final year in Oxford, the Gators stunned Ole Miss, ending their shot at the College Football Playoff. This year, while a loss in the game won’t end their CFP hopes, it will certainly leave a sour taste in their mouth after their biggest in of the season. 

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