AP Releases Pre-Season Top 25, Iowa Football Not Included

With college football officially slated to kick off this Saturday, the Associated Press released their official pre-season top 25 poll for 2017 today. Following a 2016 season that ended with Iowa at 8-5 and on the outside of the final rankings, Hawkeye fans shouldn’t be surprised to learn Iowa was not among the teams included in the initial poll for 2017.

Here’s a look:

1. Alabama

2. Ohio St

3. Florida St

4. USC

5. Clemson

6. Penn St

7. Oklahoma

8. Washington

9. Wisconsin

10. Oklahoma St

11. Michigan

12. Auburn

13. LSU

14. Stanford

15. Georgia

16. Louisville

17. Florida

18. Miami

19. USF

20. Kansas State

21. Virginia Tech

22. West Virginia

23. Texas

24. Washington State

25. Tennessee

Others receiving votes: TCU 98, Utah 85, Notre Dame 65, Boise St. 37, NC State 26, Northwestern 25, Pittsburgh 23, Oregon 21, Houston 19, Colorado 18, UCLA 9, San Diego St. 9, BYU 5, BYU 4, Nebraska 4, Tulsa 4, Kentucky 3, Texas A&M 3, Michigan St. 1.

You’ll recall Iowa received 5 votes in the initial USA Today Coaches Poll released a few weeks ago. The AP gave them a grand total of zero votes. I don’t think most Hawkeye fans have much to gripe about at this point. Iowa will face off with three teams currently ranked in the top 10 this season, giving them ample opportunity to jump up the rankings if they are deserving.

Some interesting observations:

Wisconsin all the way up at #9 seems a bit high to me. It’s obviously really early and this will all work itself out, but I would’ve pegged them firmly outside the top 10.

Sept. 2 should be fun as No. 1 Bama (shocker) will face off with No. 3 Florida State. Get your popcorn ready.

Maybe I don’t pay enough attention to the AAC, but USF starting the year inside the top 20 is a strange sight to me.

The SEC leads all conferences with six top-25 teams, but only has Alabama in the top-10. Meanwhile, the Big Ten leads all conferences in top-10 teams at 3, with only 4 in the top-25. That 4th team is Michigan, checking in at #11. Seems the AP feels the Big Ten is pretty top-heavy. And East-heavy.

Apparently going 3-9 and losing 12 guys from your two-deeps to off-field issues is enough to get you a vote in this thing. A pair of 1000-yard rushers isn’t.

The season can’t get here soon enough.