ATHENS — The Associated Press Top 25 poll will not be released until Monday, but the votes are in, including the one I’ll cast each week.
Notre Dame is the pick here, largely on the talent the Irish have stockpiled, including my AP preseason All-American QB pick, CJ Carr, along with the coaching of fifth-year coach Marcus Freeman.
Texas, which also has an abundance of talent and a celebrated quarterback on the rise in Arch Manning, was a close No. 2 on my ballot.
The view here is that adding celebrated defensive coordinator Will Muschamp adds an edge to the Longhorns defense that has been missing.
The No. 3 through No. 5 teams — Oregon, Georgia and Ohio State — were very close in my estimation, with the loaded Ducks getting the nod over the Bulldogs’ fantastic defense and the Buckeyes’ explosive offense.
Preseason AP Top Poll 25 vote
(Mike Griffith’s preseason ballot)
1. Notre Dame
2. Texas
3. Oregon
4. Georgia
5. Ohio State
6. Indiana
7. Miami
8. LSU
9. Alabama
10. BYU
11. Texas A&M
12. USC
13. Oklahoma
14. Penn State
15. Ole Miss
16. Tennessee
17. Texas Tech
18. Florida
19. Clemson
20. SMU
21. Michigan
22. Iowa
23. Louisville
24. Washington
25. Auburn
Others on the radar: Arizona, UNLV, Virginia Tech, South Carolina, Missouri, Boise State, TCU, Utah, Houston
Oregon coach Dan Lanning, who helped build a legendary defense at Georgia, has assembled great talent in Eugene and features one of the most elite quarterbacks in the nation in Dante Moore.
The Ducks have dangerous road games at USC (Sept. 26) and Ohio State (Nov. 7) but should have the depth to make a postseason run.
The Buckeyes, with returning quarterback Julian Sayin and explosive receiver Jeremiah Smith, could trigger a shuffle on my ballot if they prevail in their road game at Texas on Sept. 12.
The guess here is one of those top five teams will win the CFP Championship, but as recent seasons have shown, the 12-team playoff presents a second season of its own.
Attrition will once again be a factor, so the preseason Top 25 can only be so much of an indicator of what the far-off future might hold.
Georgia’s quest to record what would be its first College Football Playoff win since the 2022 season will depend on its ability to evolve on offense.
The Bulldogs lack proven playmakers at the receiver position, challenging returning starting quarterback Gunner Stockton to quickly develop chemistry with his pass catchers after losing five of the top six targets from a season ago, including single-season school receptions record holder Zachariah Branch.
Coach Kirby Smart has said UGA will look to establish a strong run game, off of which Stockton can make explosive downfield throws or find tight ends running open.
Georgia’s schedule is conducive to development, as the Bulldogs open the season with nonconference games against FCS-opponent Tennessee State and Conference USA member Western Kentucky before a road trip to 2025 SEC cellar-dweller Arkansas, which was 0-8 in league play last season and has a new head coach.
Georgia will be heavily favored to be 3-0 when it faces SEC contender Oklahoma at home on Sept. 26, and likely 5-0 when it travels to Alabama on Oct. 10 for what figures to be a pivotal league showdown.
Notre Dame stands atop the country, loaded with talent, and holding the advantage of not having to play in a conference championship game.
As Georgia fans would note, winning the SEC title is a badge of honor, but it’s also several more physical snaps of football, and that means more mileage on the players after finishing what’s already a grueling conference slate capped by a bruising rivalry game with Georgia Tech.
The Irish, thanks to a tweak in the CFP rules, are guaranteed a spot in the 12-team playoff field if they finish ranked in the top 12 of the CFP standings.
Ten of the SEC’s 16 teams are in my preseason Top 25, but because many have to play one another, it’s likely there won’t be that many in the Top 25 by season’s end.
The Big Ten has eight teams in my preseason Top 25 and once again has the look of a top-heavy conference.
Indiana, the defending CFP champion, has another strong team but likely does not possess the No. 1 overall draft pick and Heisman Trophy winner as it did a season ago with Fernando Mendoza.
One imagines last season would have played out differently had Georgia — and not Indiana — won the recruiting battle for Mendoza’s services.
Duke transfer Darian Mensah appears to be the big quarterback prize in this past offseason’s transfer portal.
The gifted Mensah, who ranked second in the nation with 3,973 passing yards last season and had 34 TD passes with only 6 interceptions, figures to make a run for the Heisman Trophy, following in the footsteps of the QB transfers before him at Miami.
Cam Ward transferred from Washington State to Miami and became the No. 1 overall NFL Draft pick after one season, while Carson Beck led the Hurricanes to the CFP Championship Game and was the third overall quarterback selected (albeit, in the third round) in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Miami tailback Mark Fletcher and 2025 FWAA Offensive Freshman of the Year Malachi Toney were two players on my preseason AP All-American team and give Miami explosive offensive elements beyond Mensah.
Miami plays at Notre Dame on Nov. 7 in a game that figures to have heavy CFP implications.
Preseason All-American Team
(Mike Griffith’s preseason ballot)
QB CJ Carr, Notre Dame
RB Jaden Baugh, Florida
RB Mark Fletcher, Miami
OT Trevor Goosby, Texas
OG Austin Siereveld, Ohio State
C Carson Hinzman, Ohio State
OG Greg Johnson, Minnesota
OT Jordan Seaton, LSU
TE Jeremiah Hadley, Duke
WR Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State
WR Malachi Toney, Miami
WR Ryan Coleman-Williams, Alabama
AP LJ Martin, BYU
K Peyton Woodring, Georgia
DE Colin Simmons, Texas
DT A’Mauri Washington, Oregon
DT David Stone, Oklahoma
DE Dylan Stewart, South Carolina
LB Rasheem Biles, Texas
LB Sammy Brown, Clemson
LB Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa, Notre Dame
CB Leonard Moore, Notre Dame
S KJ Bolden, Georgia
S Jelani McDonald, Texas
CB Ellis Robinson IV, Georgia
DB Zabien Brown, Alabama
P Evan Crenshaw, Troy
