3 overrated teams in the preseason US LBM Coaches Poll
USA TODAY Network’s Blake Toppmeyer offers three overrated teams in the preseason U.S. LBM coaches poll.
- Why is Georgia football number 1 and not Ohio State? Answer: Kirby Smart
- Want another reason why Georgia football is ahead of Ohio State? Carson Beck. Quarterbacks have a huge impact.
- Georgia’s 42 wins in the last three seasons are weighing on voters.
Georgia is the clear No. 1 seed this preseason, and it doesn’t matter who votes.
The AP poll matched the US LBM Coaches Poll and placed the Bulldogs at the top of the rankings by a wide margin.
But Georgia isn’t the only team with a stacked roster. No. 2 Ohio State is also loaded with All-America talent.
In this edition of “SEC Football Unfiltered,” a USA TODAY Network podcast, hosts Blake Toppmeyer and John Adams examine Georgia’s qualification as a preseason No. 1 seed and also explore the idea of the SEC pushing for more than five playoff appearances. Yes, more than five.
So why is Georgia number 1 and not Ohio State?
Let us take a closer look at the argument:
Two words: Kirby Smart
The Georgia coach is one of three active coaches to have won a national championship, twice at that, which inspires confidence and expectation.
Smart won his head-to-head matchup against Ryan Day when Georgia defeated the Buckeyes in the 2022 CFP semifinals. Until Day wins the big game, his team will face more skepticism in the preseason than Georgia did.
Kirby Smart names a problem area after Georgia’s first training game
Kirby Smart names a problem area after Georgia’s first training game
Two more words: Carson Beck
Georgia has brought back its starting quarterback Beck, while Ohio State will rely on a transfer, Will Howard.
Howard was a solid Big 12 quarterback at Kansas State, but Beck is a class above. He’s a star and a preseason favorite for the Heisman Trophy. Quarterbacks have a huge impact in the quest for a national championship.
TOPPMEYER: A fan says I horribly overlooked Auburn’s Hugh Freeze in my SEC coaching rankings. I respond.
ADAM: How my preseason top 25 differs from the coaches’ poll
OPINION: After reviewing preseason polls, the SEC could need SIX playoff bids. Yes, SIX. | Toppmeyer
Memories of Georgia’s last three seasons remain
Preseason polls are meant to provide insight into the upcoming season, but previous seasons inevitably influence voters. Georgia is 42-2 over the last three seasons, while Ohio State is 33-6.
Georgia lost to Alabama in the 2023 SEC Championship and therefore did not make the playoffs, but the fact that the Bulldogs comfortably took the top seed suggests that voters considered Georgia one of the top four teams in the country last season, even though the team was not selected for the playoffs.
Later in the episode
∎ The presenters highlight some SEC teams that could still remain in the playoff bubble even with a 10-2 record. And they outline an argument that more than five playoff teams should qualify for the SEC.
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Blake Toppmeyer is the SEC columnist for the USA TODAY Network. John Adams is senior sports columnist for the Knoxville News Sentinel. SSubscribe to the SEC Football Unfiltered podcast and check out the SEC Unfiltered newsletter delivered straight to your inbox.
