College Football AP Top 25: Five Teams That Should Feel Slighted

I took a look at College Football’s AP Preseason Top 25 today and I was about four teams down before I started shaking my head.

Florida and Texas both in the Top 5?

I’ve heard of respecting the big dogs on the block, but is this honestly a serious assessment of where these two teams are at this point in time?

New quarterbacks, a loss of key producers on offense, and multiple holes on defense are just a few of the problems both teams have to face. I can see no way to justify this high of a ranking.

This all just goes to show that pollsters show you respect for what you’ve done in the past.

If you had a great season the previous year and have a decent amount of starters returning, you’re almost guaranteed a spot in the early Top 25.

If that’s the type of formula we're working with, then there are more than a few teams that have a gripe for being left off the list.

Here’s five teams that should be the most upset.

The AP Top 25

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OXFORD, MS - OCTOBER 10: Coach Nick Saban of the Alabama Crimson Tide reacts at the end of a 22-3 win over the Mississippi Rebels at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium on October 10, 2009 in Oxford, Mississippi. (Photo by Dave Martin/Getty Images)

Here’s the official poll

1. Alabama

2. Ohio State

3. Boise State

4. Florida

5. Texas

6. TCU

7. Oklahoma

8. Nebraska

9. Iowa

10. Virginia Tech

11. Oregon

12. Wisconsin

13. Miami

14. USC

15. Pittsburgh

16. Georgia Tech

17. Arkansas

18. North Carolina

19. Penn State

20. Florida State

21. LSU

22. Auburn

23. Georgia

24. Oregon State

25. West Virginia

Stanford Cardinal

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LOS ANGELES, CA - NOVEMBER 14: Quarterback Andrew Luck #12 of the Stanford Cardinal carries the ball against the USC Trojans on November 14, 2009 at the Los Angeles Coliseum in Los Angeles, California. Stanford won 55-21. (Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty I

Both USC and Oregon were selected as Top 15 picks out the Pac-10 this year even though both have their fair share of question marks. The two also have another common connector: they were both embarrassed by Stanford in 2009.

By embarrassed I mean that Stanford put up more than 50 points and at least 450 yards of offense on both in consecutive weeks last season.

Stanford toasted USC 55-21 in the L.A. Coliseum a week after they put up 51 points on an Oregon team that was ranked in the Top 10 at the time.

Still, Jim Harbaugh’s squad can’t seem to buy any respect.

Harbaugh led the team to an 8-4 regular season (the school’s best record since 2001) and guided them to an admirable showing in the Sun Bowl against Oklahoma.

Stanford has one of the best quarterbacks in the nation in sophomore Andrew Luck. And they also have a difference maker at pretty much every position on the field.

Players like WR Chris Owusu, OT Jonathan Martin, DT Sone Fua, SS Delano Howell, and linebackers Shayne Skov and Thomas Keiser are capable of All Pac-10 honors.

With 15 returning starters from last year’s talented group, it’s a shock that Stanford was left out of the preseason Top 25.

Jim Harbaugh now has some bulletin board motivation.

Cincinnati Bearcats

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PITTSBURGH - DECEMBER 05: Isaiah Pead #23 of the Cincinnati Bearcats scores a touchdown in the fourth quarter against the University of Pittsburgh Panthers on December 5, 2009 at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Jared Wickerham/Getty I

This is a poll that seems to be focused on last year’s accomplishments rather than this season’s prospects.

With that in mind, it’s very eye-opening to see last year’s Big East Champs, the Cincinnati Bearcats, left completely out of the rankings.

It’s true the team loses head coach Brian Kelly as well as some key offensive players like quarterback Tony Pike and wide receiver Mardy Gilyard, but this is a group that went a perfect 12-0 in the 2009 regular season.

The offense welcomes back seven starters to a unit that averaged 38 points a game last year. Quarterback Zach Collaros and receiver Vidal Hazelton might be as good as, if not better than, their predecessors.

Four of the top six tacklers are back on defense. Key leaders like defensive tackle Derek Wolfe, linebacker JK Schaeffer, and safety Drew Frey all return after solid 2009 campaigns.

I’m not saying Cincinnati has to be favored to win the conference. But if you’re going to rank Pitt and West Virginia (two teams that haven’t beaten the Bearcats since 2007), then you have to give some love to the defending champs too.

Utah Utes

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FORT WORTH, TX - NOVEMBER 14: Quarterback Jordan Wynn #3 of the Utah Utes looks to pass the ball in the second quarter of the game against the TCU Horned Frogs at Amon G. Carter Stadium on November 14, 2009 in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martine

TCU is ranked No. 6 in this season’s early poll. The only problem is Mountain West partner Utah is just as deserving and didn’t even crack the list.

31-8 and 32-7.

Those are TCU and Utah’s records over the last three years.

Want to guess who’s 32-7?

It’s the Utes.

Not only has Utah been neck-and-neck with TCU over the last three seasons, Kyle Whittingham’s bunch has accomplished something TCU can’t claim; they’ve won a BCS bowl game.

TCU is the program that went undefeated in the regular season and then got outclassed in the bowl; Utah is the team that saw things all the way through to the end. 13-0!

Two BCS bowl victories in the last six years and an 8-0 bowl game record over the last decade is the definition of consistency.

This year Utah has Jordan Wynn, who could potentially be the best quarterback in the Mountain West.

They also have Kyle Whittingham and his coaching staff, who have been churning out fundamentally sound teams for some time now.

We’ll find out on Sept. 2 if the pollsters made a mistake by not ranking Utah among college football’s elite. They host the No. 15-ranked Pitt Panthers in Salt Lake City.

Boston College Golden Eagles

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CHESTNUT HILL, MA - SEPTEMBER 05: Matt Carroll #3 of the Northeastern Huskies is tackled by Dillon Quinn #92,Kaleb Ramsey #96 and Luke Kuechly #40 of the Boston College Eagles on September 5, 2009 at Alumni Stadium in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. (Pho

When you think about the ACC from a football perspective, the first school that comes to mind probably isn’t Boston College.

They’re a Big East transplant who plays up in the far reaches of New England, far away from the rest of the schools that inhabit the conference.

Because of this, they’ve never been a team that really receives a lot of attention from the media. Before Mark Herzlich’s battle with cancer, this was a school that for the most part flew under the radar.

No matter how many wins they piled up or pros they produced, they just never get the attention they truly deserve.

Hopefully that will change soon. This year’s team has the potential to not only win the conference, they can also make a run at a double-digit win season.

If the secondary can tighten up, and if Davis Shinskie can limit mistakes at the quarterback position, this is a team that can really do some big things in 2010.

You probably won’t get to hear too much about it though unless the sports media starts giving the team the focus they deserve.

Washington Huskies

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SEATTLE - SEPTEMBER 5: Head Coach Steve Sarkisian of the Washington Huskies speaks to quarterback Jake Locker #10 of the Washington Huskies during their game against the LSU Tigers on September 5, 2009 at Husky Stadium in Seattle, Washington. The LSU Tig

Am I the only one that thinks this team is primed for a huge season?

Sarkisian, Locker, and talented players all over the field.

Why is there not more love here?

Honorable Mention: Temple Owls

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STATE COLLEGE, PA - SEPTEMBER 19: Head coach Al Golden of the Temple Owls coaches from the sideline during a game against the Penn State Nittany Lions on September 19, 2009 at Beaver Stadium in State College, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Hunter Martin/Getty Im

Al Golden's Owls return 16 starters to a team that went 9-4 last season.

Bernard Pierce's running will get all the attention, but it's the swarming defense that could be the real story of the team.