3 biggest snubs from the preseason AP Top 25 college football rankings

The initial AP Top 25 rankings for the 2025 college football season are live. There aren't a ton of surprises, with Arch Manning and the Texas Longhorns leading the way at No. 1, followed by Penn State at No. 2, Ohio State at No. 3 and Clemson at No. 4. Here are the full rankings:

There are plenty of fascinating storylines to follow with this bunch. Can Arch Manning live up to the hype? Is Georgia actually in a state of regression? Can Dabo Swinney finally conquer the NIL era at Clemson? Is Miami really a threat without Cam Ward? All these questions and more will define the next several weeks of debate leading up to the season.

That said, equally compelling is the debate over which teams did not crack the Top 25. Much will change throughout the season, of course, but these initial rankings let us know what voters expect from the coming months of hard-fought competition. For teams on the bubble, think of it as extra motivation.

Here are the biggest snubs.

Iowa Hawkeyes

Kirk Ferentz has been the head football coach at Iowa since 1999. He has not posted a losing record since 2012. This Hawkeyes team is extremely consistent year over year, winning often on the power of a scrappy defense. The offense at Iowa is historically rather feeble, but don't look now — the Hawkeyes "actually have a quarterback," as folks on the internet are putting it.

It's bad with a five-yard completion in practice is enough to send your fanbase into a frenzy. But Mark Gronowski, a transfer from South Dakota State, brings an element of playmaking upside this program has not seen in a hot minute. Given the consistency of Iowa's defense and their ability to grind out wins in the Big Ten, year after year, this team feels like a pretty obvious candidate to rise in the polls.

Gronowski will be making the challenging leap from the Missouri Valley Conference to the Big Ten, but if Bennett Stirtz can do it, why can't he? There is a lot to be excited for with Iowa athletics this season. Sometimes, even a hardened skeptic needs to embrace a little bit of blind optimism. If Gronowski lives up to (the admittedly higher and higher by the day) expectations set for him, the Hawkeyes are a unit.

Louisville Cardinals

The Louisville Cardinals are right on the AP Top 25 bubble. There are natural questions for a team losing its quarterback to the second round of the NFL Draft, but Tyler Shough wasn't all that. Miller Moss, the USC transfer who threw for 2,555 yards, 18 touchdowns and nine interceptions in his first season as full-time starter, figures to fill Shough's shoes just fine. He's a hometown kid and this Louisville offense proved capable of explosive results a year ago.

Louisville beat Clemson, Kentucky and Georgia Tech last season. The ACC is no longer the bloodbath of yore, but there are plenty of quality opponents on the docket this season. Jeff Brohm has a long history with Louisville, his alma mater and his hometown school. His return to claim the head coaching role felt something like providence. After peaking as high as No. 15 in the AP poll a year ago, the Cardinals have a chip on their shoulder and enough talent to climb up the rankings.

Miami, Clemson and Kentucky are all on the schedule again this season, giving Louisville ample chances to disrupt the top 25. It will require actively building on the momentum of last season, but few teams are more entertaining to watch than the Cardinals when this offense is clicking. Moss is not a perfect QB — USC fans will gladly outline all his flaws — but this group has talent and opportunity in equal measure.

Georgia Tech

It's probably dumb to double down on the ACC in this economy, but man, this Georgia Tech team has something about it. The Yellow Jackets finished out the 2024 regular season by taking UGA to eight overtimes in Sanford Stadium. Fate sided with the Bulldogs that day, but it was the most impressive performance Tech has put together in years. Haynes King really arrived in that moment as one of the most compelling performers in college football.

The Jackets start 2025 right on the AP poll bubble. King is back under center and Tech's run game is a strong as ever. The schedule is also loaded with juicy matchups — Colorado in Week 1, Clemson, Duke, Pittsburgh and of course Georgia. A hard schedule is a double-edged sword, but Tech will get the chance to stack high-value wins early and often throughout the campaign. If the Jackets can grind their way to a Week 1 victory over Colorado, another bubble team, the stage will be set for an exciting season in downtown Atlanta.

As a lifelong Georgia Tech fan who wound up going to Georgia for school and was forced to reckon with conflicting ideals, I must admit that Tech's almost-victory over UGA a year ago gave me butterflies. Excuse the blasphemy, but Clean, Good Old-Fashioned Hate is a lot more fun when both teams are good. Tech finally has the star-power to back up the sort of grind-it-out play style that college football fans love. Keep your eyes on the Jackets.