NCAA Football Preseason Rankings 2015: Overrated, Underrated Programs of Top 25

Let the debating, speculation and most of all, the excitement begin.

College football is right around the corner as coaches around the FBS attempt to do their best Nostradamus impressions with the release of the Amway Coaches Preseason Poll. 

Their preseason poll last year was almost a perfect prediction, ranking three of the four playoff teams in their top four.

The defending national champions, to little surprise, sit atop the rankings as Ohio State brings one of the most complete teams in the country. But some teams on this list might not be ranked where they should be. 

Here is a look at the Amway Coaches Preseason Poll with some of the most overrated and underrated teams in the rankings.

Rank	Team	2014 Record	Points
1	Ohio State	14-1	1598
2	TCU	12-1	1487
3	Alabama	12-2	1452
4	Baylor	11-2	1365
5	Oregon	13-2	1260
6	Michigan State	11-2	1230
7	Auburn	8-5	1103
8	Florida State	13-1	1057
9	Georgia	10-3	1026
10	USC	9-4	1014
11	Notre Dame	8-5	883
12	Clemson	10-3	838
13	LSU	8-5	727
14	UCLA	10-3	697
15	Ole Miss	9-4	668
16	Arizona State	10-3	577
17	Georgia Tech	11-3	573
18	Wisconsin	11-3	470
19	Oklahoma	8-5	407
20	Arkansas	7-6	377
21	Stanford	8-5	365
22	Arizona	10-4	299
23	Missouri	11-3	229
24	Boise State	12-2	190
25	Tennessee	7-6	166

Most Overrated Teams

TCU

• 2015 Rank: 2nd
• 2014 Record: 12-1 (Won Peach Bowl over Ole Miss)

The Horned Frogs have been given a bad break here with such a high ranking. Being awarded the No. 2 spot puts a target on their backs as they will be getting the very best from every opponent each week.

Given the No. 2 ranking by the coaches, TCU's success comes off of their playoff snub after finishing the 2014 season ranked third, sharing the Big 12 Championship with Baylor and taking it out on an injury-ridden Ole Miss in the Peach Bowl.

TCU's defense is going to try and replace six starters this season in a unit that allowed 27 or more points in five of nine conference games in 2014. 

They are returning most of their powerful offense, including quarterback and possible Heisman Trophy candidate Trevone Boykin, who was tied for sixth in the country last year with 6,929 total yards. But that won't be enough, according to SI.com's Colin Becht:

"

TCU will still be a top team in the conference and benefits from playing most of its tough games late in the season and drawing Baylor at home, but with a regression to average luck and some setbacks on defense, the Horned Frogs will struggle to match last year’s incredible success.

"

The luck Becht speaks of is a combination of gaining 6.34 points per game off turnovers and staying healthy.

And while they might have no problem outscoring their opponents during their nonconference schedule, if they run into a defense that is on its game, even if its for just one week, TCU's entire season can be derailed if the offense is not clicking.

Baylor University

• 2015 Rank: 4th
• 2014 Record: 11-2 (Lost Cotton Bowl to Michigan State)

No disrespect is intended here to the Big 12. I am just a firm believer in the whole "defense wins championships" adage, and I'm not alone in this thought process.

NOLA.com's Jeff Duncan also views both TCU and Baylor as being overrated: "I group these two together because they're essentially one and the same. Does anyone really know how good either team is? The Big 12 is mediocre and their non-conference schedules are fairly weak."

Baylor also had one of the most unstoppable offenses in the nation, bringing in a unit that led the country in yards per game at 581 while being fourth in passing yards (4,757) and total yards (7,559) last season. 

But that was an offense led by quarterback Bryce Petty, who will not be coming through those doors in Waco, Texas, come September. 

Instead, Baylor rests its hopes on junior Seth Russell, who got some reps last season, but the sample size is not enough to put the Bears at fourth. Especially because much of his success came against the likes of SMU, Northwestern State and Buffalo.

While picking apart Division I talent is impressive, it was not against Big 12 talent such as TCU, Texas and Oklahoma. It also remains to be seen if Baylor's defense is capable of keeping up if Russell does have a bad game. Baylor was the 37th-ranked defense last season, as it relied on the offense to overpower and outscore its opponents.

Now, I'm not saying Texas and Oklahoma are better than Baylor. They aren't. But there are other teams across the Power Five conferences that could be more deserving of the No. 4 ranking. 

That being said, the Nov. 27 matchup against TCU will be one of the best games of the season.

Most Underrated Teams

USC

• 2015 Rank: 10th
• 2014 Record: 9-4 (Won Holiday Bowl over Nebraska)

Don't be surprised if you see USC in the conversation for the College Football Playoff at the end of the season. 

While the likes of TCU, Baylor and even Oregon are offensively heavy, the Trojans are a more well-rounded team, and you'll most likely see both their offensive and defensive units ranked in the nation's top 20. 

Quarterback Cody Kessler will be a Heisman candidate come December as he looks to improve, if possible, on a season that saw him throw for 3,826 yards and 36 touchdowns.

While USC grooms Kessler, it has also been preaching mental toughness to a side that saw three of its four losses come at a margin of six points or less.

Head coach Steve Sarkisian addressed the issue on Sirius XM's College Sports Nation, via Scott Wolf of the Los Angeles Daily News:

"

Are we doing enough to develop them, or are we just coddling them? You have to distinguish between the two. If they’re showing up every day, somebody’s making a shake for them, you go over here and somebody’s handing them this, what are they doing for themselves to develop themselves to get ready?

"

USC will announce its big return to the college football stage by cracking down on a team that was upset by Boston College and lost to crosstown rival UCLA, which has challenged them for in-state bragging rights as the best in California.

Michigan State

• 2015 Rank: 6th
• 2014 Record: 11-2 (Won Cotton Bowl over Baylor)

The Spartans are ranked two spots beneath the team they defeated in the Cotton Bowl last season: Baylor. 

Michigan State returns one of the top quarterbacks in the nation in Connor Cook, who could be competing with Kessler for Heisman honors. 

He is also bringing a new passion and fire to the Spartans, according to teammate Shilique Calhoun, who spoke with Joe Rexrode of the Detroit Free Press:

"

He's never been like this before. It's easy to see. He's much more serious and I've seen him step up a couple times like that to call guys out -- basically saying, 'We need to get our stuff together.'

"

Another well-rounded group, the Spartans had their two losses against Ohio State and Oregon, teams that played for the national championship last season. 

They have a chance to flex their muscles in Week 2 against the Ducks in East Lansing. If they do win, they have to become early playoff favorites, especially since their one real roadblock after that will be against Ohio State on Nov. 21. 

However, an inexperienced secondary and a new defensive coordinator might not allow Michigan State to sport the seventh-ranked defense they had last season. But they do have the right personnel and culture to exploit that chip-on-the-shoulder mentality that will see them playing second-fiddle to Ohio State for another season.

Stats courtesy of ESPN.com