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The 2023 preseason coaches’ poll rankings dropped this week sparking an immediate reaction from college football fans. Folks are racing to social media to give opinions on who’s too high, who’s too low, and everything in between.
We’ve already seen a number of upset fanbases, most notably that of Tennessee who believes the Vols should’ve been slotted ahead of the team ranked directly in front of them.
While some groups bicker about positioning, others are getting a dose of reality as to how difficult their upcoming schedules will be. Florida fans believe the Gators have the toughest slate in the country as they face five teams ranked in the Top 15.
The Top Five consists of only teams from the SEC and Big Ten, and those two conferences account for 10 of the 25 teams on the list. The PAC 12 sees five ranked teams with the highest being No. 6 USC, as does the Big XII though none sit in the Top 10.
The ACC has three teams as they round out the Power Five while independent Notre Dame comes in at No. 13 and Group of Five program Tulane sits at No. 23.
With that being said, fans always have something to say about their team’s inclusion in the polls. Here’s the immediate online reaction.
Who’s ranked too high?
There were a number of teams pointed out as being ranked too high in the debut coaches’ poll. Most talked about were a pair of teams from the SEC West, a potential PAC 12 champion, and a team coming off a losing season in the Big XII.
LSU and Texas A&M were often discussed by fans in the comments section, though for different reasons. There’s no doubt that the Tigers should be included in the Top 25, and likely the Top 10 after winning the SEC West and taking down Alabama last year.
Still, LSU lost four games including one to Florida State who’s ranked three spots behind.
Am I the only one that thinks LSU at 5 is insane? They went 10-4 last year and beat Bama, but they lost to Texas A&M and barely beat Arkansas by 3, and Auburn by 4.
No, I’m not saying this because I think the Vols should be higher because they shouldn’t.— Orange Kool-aid (@Vol_Bender) August 7, 2023
Meanwhile, the Texas A&M Aggies were lambasted after going 5-7 last year with a loss to App State, yet still receiving a Top 25 ranking ahead of teams like South Carolina and Florida who beat them in 2022.
Oklahoma received similar criticism after their 6-7 campaign.
OU Went 6-7 last year too. It’s garbage
— Christian Harper (@c_harp_TTU) August 7, 2023
As for USC, many believed they were unfairly ranked ahead of Utah (No. 14), who beat them twice last season to win the PAC 12. Yes, Heisman winner Caleb Williams returns, but the Utes also have their signal caller back as well as a slew of 2022 production.
USC above Utah is a joke
— Tyson David (Utah Nationalist) Reese (@tr4freedom) August 7, 2023
Who got snubbed?
On the opposite end of the spectrum, a number of teams that either round out the Top 25 or start the season unranked were looked at as snubs.
Most notable was No. 25 Texas Tech, who took down three teams currently ranked ahead of them in 2022.
Yes we did. And we beat UT and OU in the same year last year
— Christian Harper (@c_harp_TTU) August 7, 2023
Right behind the Red Raiders was South Carolina, who received the second-most votes of anyone outside the Top 25. The Gamecocks finished the regular season on a tear with wins over Tennessee and Clemson, though they were largely inconsistent in their eight-win campaign.
Gamecock fans are hoping to see the end-of-year momentum continue.
underrated
— Samuel (@Samuel25209614) August 7, 2023
While it gives us something to talk about ahead of the 2023 season, these preseason polls will have little impact on the outcome of the year. Bring on college football’s opening weekend so we can sort the rankings out on the field.