The first AP Top 25 of the season has arrived, which means the annual guessing contest can officially begin. Some teams earned their place. These three seem to be ranked because voters recognized the helmet.
No. 18 Penn State is living off a reputation it damaged
What did Penn State football do to earn another preseason ranking? The Nittany Lions entered 2025 at No. 2, lost six straight games and stumbled to a 7-6 finish. James Franklin was fired along the way. Somehow, the program has reappeared at No. 18 without playing a snap under Matt Campbell.
Campbell might prove to be an excellent hire. Rocco Becht also brings experience after following him from Iowa State. Neither changes what Penn State currently is: a team replacing its coach, quarterback and much of its identity after a miserable season.
Perhaps voters fell in love with the schedule. Penn State avoids Ohio State, Oregon and Indiana, giving Campbell a clear path toward a quick turnaround. Fine. A friendly path does not automatically make the team walking it one of the country’s best 18. Penn State could earn that label soon. It has not earned it yet.
No. 20 Tennessee has hope where answers should be
Tennessee finished 8-5 last season and went .500 in SEC play. Apparently that was enough for voters to run it back and hope nobody inspected the roster too closely.
The Volunteers still have not settled on a starting quarterback. George MacIntyre and Faizon Brandon are talented, but neither has proved he can guide an offense through an SEC schedule. Quarterback competitions are fun in March. They become considerably less charming when September is approaching.
Tennessee’s defense is also being rebuilt under new coordinator Jim Knowles. The process became even more difficult when safety Edrees Farooq suffered a season-ending injury during camp. He recorded 76 tackles and forced four fumbles last year, so this was not some harmless depth-chart shuffle.
Josh Heupel could figure it out. He usually produces enough offense to make opponents miserable. Ranking Tennessee now, however, requires faith in a young quarterback and a defense learning on the fly. That is quite a parlay.
No. 25 Missouri got the leftover chair
Someone had to occupy the final spot. Missouri apparently was standing closest when the music stopped. The Tigers went 8-5 last season, including a 4-4 record in the SEC, before losing 13-7 to Virginia in their bowl game. Nothing about that finish screamed Top 25.
Missouri will now turn its offense over to Ole Miss transfer Austin Simmons, a gifted quarterback who has not played enough college football to deserve blind trust. The Tigers must also replace three starters along the offensive line.
The defense brings its own renovation project. Missouri lost the players responsible for most of its pass-rush production and will ask a collection of transfers and inexperienced returners to replace it.
Could the Tigers finish ranked? Sure. There are good players on the roster, and Eli Drinkwitz has built a respectable program. For now, though, No. 25 feels less like a vote of confidence and more like the AP ran out of teams.
