The Associated Press Top 25 Poll is in desperate need of a major overhaul, and it’s never been more glaring than right now, mid-season. Here’s the hard truth: conference bias is skewing rankings, and it’s costing teams their rightful spots. While the preseason poll was questionable, the current state of affairs is downright concerning—especially as we inch closer to the College Football Playoff poll. But here’s where it gets controversial: the AP Poll isn’t just influencing strength of schedule debates; it’s potentially steering the selection committee’s decisions in the coming weeks. And this is the part most people miss: the SEC is once again at the center of the controversy, with some teams overranked due to conference affiliation, while others are overlooked entirely.
Take, for instance, the LSU Tigers, Washington Huskies, and USC Trojans. These teams’ rankings are being used to fuel arguments that simply don’t hold water. Let’s break it down: LSU sits at No. 10, just one spot below their preseason ranking. Sounds fair, right? Wrong. They kicked off the season with a win over Clemson, which looked impressive at the time. But Clemson has since plummeted to a 3-3 record, with losses to Georgia Tech and Syracuse. Yet, AP voters haven’t adjusted LSU’s ranking downward. Their other notable win? Over a 2-4 Florida Gators team. And their toughest game? They lost it. Still, they’re No. 10—a privilege that feels tied to their SEC membership rather than their actual performance.
Now, compare LSU to USC. The Trojans have just one loss—on the road to then-No. 17 Illinois, a team that has since lost only to powerhouses Ohio State and Indiana. USC also boasts a dominant win over Michigan. Yet, they’re ranked No. 20, a full 10 spots behind LSU. Why? Because USC started lower in the preseason and doesn’t benefit from the SEC’s perceived ‘quality loss’ advantage. Is the SEC’s brand name carrying more weight than actual on-field performance? It certainly seems that way.
ESPN’s Bill Connelly, creator of the SP+ metric, offers a data-driven perspective. When preseason expectations are removed, four of the top five teams are from the Big Ten, with Texas Tech leading the pack. LSU? They’re No. 22. Georgia? No. 21. Alabama? No. 26. These rankings are opponent-adjusted, meaning they account for strength of schedule. Yet, the AP Poll tells a different story, with SEC teams consistently overrepresented.
And it’s not just about individual rankings. The narrative that the SEC has the toughest remaining schedule is being pushed hard—but is it true? According to ESPN’s FPI metric, six of the 11 hardest remaining schedules are in the Big Ten, with the other five in the SEC. It’s a near-even split, yet the SEC’s ‘gauntlet’ is still being touted as unparalleled. Are we letting conference bias cloud our judgment?
Here’s the bigger issue: with an expanded playoff, these rankings matter more than ever. Yet, they’re in the hands of voters who may not even be watching the games. One voter ranked Michigan No. 17 and left USC unranked—despite USC’s decisive win over Michigan just days earlier. It’s a glaring example of how outdated or uninformed opinions are shaping the landscape of college football.
So, here’s the question: Is the AP Poll still a credible tool for ranking college football teams, or is it time to replace it with a more objective system? Let’s hear your thoughts in the comments—do you think conference bias is ruining the rankings, or is the AP Poll still the gold standard? The debate is open, and it’s one worth having.
