Updated ESPN Early College Football Top 25

[The Public Enemy]

9 SEC Schools in the Top 25 including Kentucky at 23rd …. 5 ACC Schools in the Top 25 including Louisville at 21st

Updated Way-Too-Early Top 25 after wild times in transfer portal, coaching carousel

Nick Saban retired? Ohio State reloaded? The past month has turned our Top 25 upside down. Here's where things stand now.

www.espn.com

 

[vhcat70]

23 ain't so bad all things considered.

 

[entropy13]

The dirty birds are about 20 spots too high, LOL.

 

[The-Hack]

We had all these rankings last year, but not preseason AP!

 

[ZenCatFan73]

Go Cats!!

 

[azubuikefan]

That's great! I did not expect to be ranked on any of these lists for some reason.

 

[CaptainBoogerBuns]

9 SEC Schools in the Top 25 including Kentucky at 23rd …. 5 ACC Schools in the Top 25 including Louisville at 21st

Updated Way-Too-Early Top 25 after wild times in transfer portal, coaching carousel

Nick Saban retired? Ohio State reloaded? The past month has turned our Top 25 upside down. Here's where things stand now.

www.espn.com

Is this an “early” or “way too early” list? I can’t keep up with these 😝

 

[Freetaxreturn]

Notre Dame at 5 😂😂😂🍺

 

[BigBlueManSouthCentralKY]

With our schedule would take anywhere in the top 25 at the end of the season.

 

[JHB4UK]

I'm quite cynical about rankings, why teams are placed where they are and who benefits and why. And to me it is in ESPN financial and ratings interest for UK to be in the top 25 for week 2 vs S Carolina, and more importantly 3 vs Georgia.

They can promote week 2 on SEC Network as USCjr trying to upset top 25 Kentucky on the road at 7:30 pm est. Then hype up all week 3 Georgia trying to avoid the upset by 2-0 top 25 UK in the Krog on ABC at 3:30 pm est.

After week 3 they won't care about UK's rankings very much.

 

[bigblueinsanity]

We had all these rankings last year, but not preseason AP!

Shows how far stoops moved the needle. We're full of key transfers and don't even have an OC. Kentucky is now a brand voters trust to find a way.

Pretty crazy when you think about it.

 

[Soupbean]

^^^ It is crazy for those of us long timers for sure. But I even find myself forgetting how frustrating and hopeless it used to be. Guess that's another tip of the hat to Stoops, expectations are at a new level.

 

[Docpath1972]

I still find it hopeless. There are too many teams we need to jump to be considered playoff potential. And we added two more teams next year. All of these teams have bigger recruit bases and most have more money

 

[bluecoon1]

I still find it hopeless. There are too many teams we need to jump to be considered playoff potential. And we added two more teams next year. All of these teams have bigger recruit bases and most have more money

Difference is imo is there is actually some hope when you compare it to the five decades before Stoops. We can compete with most conference schools and for the most part beating the ones we should.

 

[The-Hack]

Pretty crazy when you think about it.

And what’s crazier, still, is the lunatic fringe wanting Stoops gone . . . .

Is it basketball season yet?

 

[Docpath1972]

Difference is imo is there is actually some hope when you compare it to the five decades before Stoops. We can compete with most conference schools and for the most part beating the ones we should.

I think stoops has done a fine job. However, his SEC record is not much different from Brooks, Claiborne (if you throw out the first year, 0-10, in the wake of the Curci debacle, who actually fielded the two best teams in my memory). I just read the it seems certain that we will go to a nine game conference schedule and I think that makes it even less hopeful.

 

[The-Hack]

However, his SEC record is not much different from Brooks,

Brooks never posted a winning SEC record.

Stoops has, twice.

Stoops’ SEC record is much different from Brooks.
“Bryant 50%
Curci 46%
Stoops 39%
Collier 36%
Mumme 31%
Brooks 29%”

And if we can parse Claiborne’s 0-10-1 record, we can parse Stoops’ first teams’ 2-10 record.

 

[CUJO_1970]

They just can't help themselves with Louisville and Notre Dame.

 

[satcheluk]

I think stoops has done a fine job. However, his SEC record is not much different from Brooks, Claiborne (if you throw out the first year, 0-10, in the wake of the Curci debacle, who actually fielded the two best teams in my memory). I just read the it seems certain that we will go to a nine game conference schedule and I think that makes it even less hopeful.

UK is sixth in the SEC in wins since 2018. That's ahead of Tennessee, Auburn and Ole Miss. Brooks and Claiborne weren't even in the same stratosphere. https://southboundanddown.com/2023/08/25/ranking-every-sec-football-program-combined-record-since-2018/#:~:text=The SEC's top team based,more in 2018 and 2021.

 

[Grumpyolddawg]

And what’s crazier, still, is the lunatic fringe wanting Stoops gone . . . .

Is it basketball season yet?

I just haven't been able to get a grasp on that either Hack. As a UGA fan UK is one of my most dreaded games, UK is going to be physical, not make mistakes and force you to beat them by playing a good game. UK just isn't going to beat themself and they are going to beat you up.

 

[rrdd2021]

I think the big national sleeper in 2024 is USC and if Lincoln Riley can ever field a decent defense. If they do, watch out but that's a big if.

I also think that OSU and Georgia are the 2 most talented teams in 2024 especially after those monster Portal pickups by OSU. That Michigan NC clearly lit a fire under OSU and didn't do the rest of the Big Ten any favors

 

[Grumpyolddawg]

I think the big national sleeper in 2024 is USC and if Lincoln Riley can ever field a decent defense. If they do, watch out but that's a big if.

I also think that OSU and Georgia are the 2 most talented teams in 2024 especially after those monster Portal pickups by OSU. That Michigan NC clearly lit a fire under OSU and didn't do the rest of the Big Ten any favors

Riley has lost every big game he has ever coached. I don't know their schedule, but he will be breaking in a new QB and in a new conference, 4 or more losses is likely, imo.

I think UGA has a chance to be pretty good, but OSU went all in on winning it in 24. Don't see anyone beating them unless Day makes a decision that cost them a game.

 

[katwest]

They just can't help themselves with Louisville and Notre Dame.

Who are they trying to convince, us or themselves, both of those teams are constantly overrated.

 

[JHB4UK]

Miami, Notre Dame, Knoxville are annually always in preseason top 25s, most of the last 20 yrs they don't finish that way

 

[BigBlueManSouthCentralKY]

Yardbreakers too early 12 team playoffs this coming season has GA, OH St, Clemson, OK St, Texas, ND, Ole Miss, Alabama, Oregon, MI, Boise St, and Tulane.

 

[CaptainBoogerBuns]

And what’s crazier, still, is the lunatic fringe wanting Stoops gone . . . .

Is it basketball season yet?

That’s funny. I don’t care who you are. 😎

I think I figured it out. When somebody says “wait till basketball season”, it’s basically the SEC’s equivalent of the NiT for football season

 

[Girthang]

9 SEC Schools in the Top 25 including Kentucky at 23rd …. 5 ACC Schools in the Top 25 including Louisville at 21st

Updated Way-Too-Early Top 25 after wild times in transfer portal, coaching carousel

Nick Saban retired? Ohio State reloaded? The past month has turned our Top 25 upside down. Here's where things stand now.

www.espn.com

Weird. Only 5 ACC schools on the list. They must not know how great the ACC really is, since their number 2 team crushed an SEC school the last week of the season, and their number 1 obliterated Georgia in their bowl game.

 

[TopCatCal]

9 SEC Schools in the Top 25 including Kentucky at 23rd …. 5 ACC Schools in the Top 25 including Louisville at 21st

Updated Way-Too-Early Top 25 after wild times in transfer portal, coaching carousel

Nick Saban retired? Ohio State reloaded? The past month has turned our Top 25 upside down. Here's where things stand now.

www.espn.com

With the additions of Texas & Oklahoma to the conference. I counted 10 SEC teams ranked in the Top-25. Compared to the Big10 having only 4 teams ranked, this despite the Big10 being an 18 team conference. I guess you could say that the Big10 is like the SEC's little brother.

 

[Cabo Blue]

They just can't help themselves with Louisville and Notre Dame.

But they were the runnerup’s in that juggernaut conference they play in!

 

[gamecockcat]

I'm not buying MO as a top 10 team until I see them play. UofL is overrated, as usual. If 4 other teams in the ACC are top 25, seems probable that the Cards will end up with 3 or more losses. Would they stay top 25 then? We'll see.

 

[The Public Enemy]

With the additions of Texas & Oklahoma to the conference. I counted 10 SEC teams ranked in the Top-25. Compared to the Big10 having only 4 teams ranked, this despite the Big10 being an 18 team conference. I guess you could say that the Big10 is like the SEC's little brother.

You’re correct … overlooked the Sooners … also 5 Big XII Schools in their Top 25 … the Big Ten has the fewest in the ESPN Way Too Early Top 25