My ballot for the AP Top 25 – If they let me have one

Is it too early to talk about the top 25? Absolutely. But AP ballots are due on Thursday August 1st. So if I’m going to have my ballot ready in time, I have to do it now. 

Top 5

1 – Ohio State
2 – Oregon
3 – Georgia
4 – Texas
5 – Alabama

I think these are the only 5 teams that can win a National Championship this year. The top 2 are the best of the B1G, and the next 3 are all SEC programs with loaded rosters. Unsurprisingly, these are also the 5 most likely teams to win the natty according to Vegas. As you can see, I’m leaning B1G over SEC at the top right now. 

6-10

6 – Penn State
7 – Notre Dame
8 – Ole Miss
9 – Michigan
10 – Utah

Penn State at 6 will be high for some, but they are one of very few teams with a proven QB and an elite run game. 

QB Riley Leonard transferred from Duke to Notre Dame. I expect him to elevate the golden domes who already had a good roster before he showed up

Ole Miss was a top 10 team last year, and I don’t see why they would drop off from 23 to 24.

Michigan just won the title last year, but half their team and their head coach left for the NFL. I have them “down” at 9 because this year’s team is very different from last year’s. 

Utah is the best team in the Big 12 (in my opinion). So I feel comfortable having them in the top 10. 

11-15

11 – Kansas State
12 – Missouri
13 – Tennessee
14 – Oklahoma
15 – Iowa

Kansas State is Utah’s primary challenger for the Big 12 crown, so they can be right behind them. 

12-14 is an SEC logjam of good teams with known flaws or major question marks. Missouri, Tennessee, and Oklahoma all feel like 10-2 teams. But not all of them can go 10-2, there aren’t enough wins to go around. 

Iowa had the worst offense in football last year and still went 10-2. Now that they fired their OC, they literally can only get better on that side of the ball. The defense is just as good as last year and will keep them in every game. 

16-20

16 – Miami
17 – Florida State
18 – Oklahoma State
19 – Louisville
20 – Kansas

Finally, some ACC teams make my list. I guess I don’t have much respect for that league this year. Maybe they prove me wrong with some early non con wins. Miami at 16, Florida State at 17, and Louisville at 19 are the teams I see as “the best that league has to offer.”

Oklahoma State has all seniors on the O-Line, and the best returning RB in the country. Kansas is no longer a basketball school, and has one of the most underrated QBs in Jalon Daniels. I see those two schools as the ones that can play spoiler to Kansas State and Utah. 

21-25

21 – Wisconsin
22 – Texas A&M
23 – LSU
24 – Virginia Tech
25 – UCF

I’m high on Wisconsin – shocking I know. If they lose to every team above them, that would make them 8-4. This seems like the right spot to me for 2 reasons. I have to have Wisconsin above Nebraska and USC (who would be my 26th and 27th teams respectively). And I also think they should be above LSU. Last year’s bowl game was decided by 4 points, and I think Bucky is far more improved than the Tigers.

Texas A&M is very talented, but they will lose some games they shouldn’t because they have an entirely new coaching staff.

I don’t expect Virginia Tech or UCF to win the ACC or Big 12, but I think both are good enough to upset any of the favorites in their conferences. 

Want more Walk On Fan? 

Check out last week’s Wisco Wednesday for some discussion on how Wisconsin will do in 2024.

Follow us on Twitter (or X) @here.

This article was written by Cole Tollison and edited by Hayden Breene