Advertisement

The Most Bittersweet AP Top 25 of All-Time Has Been Released

Today is supposed to be one of the most fun days of discussion of the college football season, with the preseason AP Top 25 poll being released. But this year, it's just a bittersweet reminder of what could have been.

Voters were instructed to include all teams across the country in their initial ballots, regardless of whether those teams would be playing this season or not. As a result, the preseason poll includes nine teams which will not be playing this fall: Ohio State, Penn State, Oregon, Wisconsin, Michigan, USC, Minnesota, Utah and Iowa.

Though the ACC, SEC and Big 12 say they're moving forward with their seasons for now — and let's all hope those plans remain in place — it will certainly feel weird having a college football season that doesn't include an Ohio State-Michigan game or Oregon inevitably losing an early season game and making a late-season push for a College Football Playoff spot.

This season is going to take some getting used to, but I believe I speak for nearly everyone when I say we will take it to still have whatever college football we can this fall. Plus, this means your Tennessee Volunteers are really starting the season at No. 16. What a deal.

We are only five days from kicking off the college football season with Austin Peay-Central Arkansas this Saturday.