As the impending 2020 shit show that is the upcoming college football season, the AP decided to move ahead with their top-25 rankings, which included teams out of the Big Ten and Pac-12 who will not be participating due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
1. Clemson (38)
2. Ohio State (21)
3. Alabama (2)
4. Georgia
5. Oklahoma (2)
6. LSU (1)
7. Penn State
8. Florida
9. Oregon
10. Notre Dame
11. Auburn
12. Wisconsin
13. Texas A&M
14. Texas
15. Oklahoma State
16. Michigan
17. USC
18. North Carolina
19. Minnesota
20. Cincinnati
21. UCF
22. Utah
23. Iowa State
24. Iowa
25. Tennessee
A total of nine combined Big Ten and Pac-12 teams were included in the rankings that notably saw Ohio State come in at No. 2 ahead of Alabama who sits at No. 4 and behind No. 1 Clemson who the Buckeyes lost to in last season’s instant classic semifinal playoff game.
As far as the preseason ranking itself goes, all Division One teams were eligible to be included in the top-25 irregardless of what their conference and/or school decided to do prior to the start of the fall football season. However, once the season starts, only teams with games on the fall schedule will be eligible to be ranked. That includes a total of 76 teams that comprise the FBS out of the SEC, Atlantic Coast Conference, Big 12, American Athletic, Conference USA and Sun Belt. With that said there shouldn’t be too much change at the top with Big Ten powerhouses like Ohio State and Penn State out of the picture. However, down the list, it’ll be interested nonetheless to see who takes advantage of the Big Ten and Pac-12’s decision not to play a fall football schedule.
Meanwhile, the SEC, Big 12 and ACC eliminated all non-conference games, which again doesn’t mean much for a top heavy SEC and ACC. Perhaps though fireworks can be had in a Big 10 that could yield to a little more parity in 2020.