SEC teams like Ole Miss and Oklahoma are underrated by the AP Poll

In the wake of the first week of college football for the 2025 season, various teams have faced scrutiny regarding their performance and rankings. Attention has been particularly focused on the Southeastern Conference (SEC), which has long been considered a powerhouse in college football. Despite notable losses by teams such as Alabama and Texas, there remains a debate surrounding the fate of the SEC and its position in comparison to other conferences like the Big Ten. While some argue that the SEC's time is up, a deeper analysis reveals evidence to the contrary. Texas lost to a robust preseason top five team, and Alabama faced challenges that were specific to their situation. The introduction of the transfer portal is also a significant point of discussion. Some critics propose that the portal has diminished the excitement of Week 1 by fostering inconsistencies among teams which have heavily utilized this mechanism for player recruitment. However, this stance may overlook the historical fact that early-season performances have varied widely for numerous reasons, with or without the portal's influence. Furthermore, teams that adapted well using the transfer portal, like Miami and LSU, demonstrated effective gameplay that led to impressive victories. As the first Associated Press (AP) poll indicates, teams like Ole Miss, Oklahoma, and Tennessee are being perceived unfavorably despite their advanced analytics suggesting otherwise. Tools like the SP+ ranking system, which takes into account offensive, defensive, and special teams efficiency, illustrate a gap between traditional polling mechanisms and analytical evaluation. For example, Ole Miss is ranked 20th by the AP Poll but holds a much more favorable 4th position in SP+. Similarly, Oklahoma is at 7th in SP+, with the AP Poll placing them at 18th, and Tennessee stands at 8th in SP+ versus 22nd in the AP Poll. These discrepancies imply that several teams may be underrated by the AP voters, while conversely, others are erroneously overrated. The rise of the SEC in terms of profitability and competitiveness has led to heightened expectations, which in turn complicates the assessment of rankings. The dynamics of college football remain complicated due to ongoing narratives influenced by preseason perceptions, further illustrating the complexities behind team evaluations in this sport. The influences of initial rankings can trickle down into how teams are perceived long after, which can hinder accurate appraisals of their performances in subsequent weeks.