The preseason AP Top 25 Poll came out on Monday, and as usual, that immediately led to it being dissected before the season even begins. That includes who is overrated and who got snubbed.
That group of snubs includes several teams that weren’t even ranked but do have a very real shot at making it to the College Football Playoff this year. After all, in the first two seasons of the 12-team bracket, six of the 24 teams started the season unranked.
So, it’s worth taking a dive into those teams outside the preseason AP Top 25 Poll. In particular, those with a legitimate shot at making the College Football Playoff.
In many respects, it seems like college football is starting to pass head coach Dabo Swinney by. He’s been slow to adapt to the transfer portal, his record has had a few more losses and last season, with nine draft picks, Clemson went just 7-6.
Still, Swinney has an immensely talented roster on paper. He has a new offensive coordinator, Chad Morris, who Swinney trusts. Outside of hosting Miami, their ACC schedule is very manageable. It wouldn’t be a shock to see the Tigers pushing double-digit wins, which would mean a shot at the ACC Championship and the College Football Playoff.
The Florida Gators have never made the College Football Playoff, be it in the four-team or the 12-team format. They’re also coming off some of their worst years in modern history, with losing seasons in two of their last three years under Billy Napier. The Napier era is over, though, and in comes Jon Sumrall, who took Tulane to the College Football Playoff a season ago.
Sumrall worked hard to retain the Gators, who he believes he can develop into winners. He worked hard to put a very capable coaching staff together. Now, pending an interesting quarterback battle, Florida may have the pieces to surprise some people.
Another SEC team with a new coaching staff, the Auburn Tigers are looking to make some noise early and often in 2026. They also have a stretch of games in October where, with a couple of upsets, Auburn could be difficult to ignore. The Tigers play Tennessee, Georgia, LSU and Ole Miss in a row, which will likely dictate how their season goes.
Interestingly, new head coach Alex Golesh had a bit of a different approach to roster building than Jon Sumrall at Florida. He brought several key players who he likes from USF with him, including quarterback Byrum Brown. So, they know the system. They just have to prove it in a tougher conference.
No coach did more at Oklahoma State than Mike Gundy. He also very clearly wasn’t adapting to the current era of the sport, going 3-9 in 2024 before getting fired after a 1-2 start. The Cowboys finished just 1-11 after a disaster of a season, and seem like a long shot for the College Football Playoff.
At one point, Indiana seemed a long way off, too. Then, it made the field twice in a row under Curt Cignetti, with his players following him from James Madison. New Cowboys coach Eric Morris is hoping for the same, importing his North Texas offense. Because of that, SP+ is projecting Oklahoma State will be +21.7 adjusted points per game. That’s enough to get competitive in the Big 12, which could make it competitive for the College Football Playoff.
Bonus: The Group of Six Winner
It’s a bit of a cop out. However, there are no Group of Six programs in the preseason AP Top 25, and at least one of them is going to make the College Football Playoff. So, at least one team from the outside looking in will make the field.
