NCAAF · 20 minutes ago

5 Most Overrated Teams in College Football Coaches Poll

TJ Inman

Host · Writer

5. Clemson Tigers (#23)
I understand giving Dabo Swinney the benefit of the doubt and expecting a rebound from a disastrous 7-5 season. However, the Tigers lost their starting quarterback, starting running back, best offensive lineman, and several drafted defensive stars from that 7-5 team and are now being ranked in the top 25? That does not add up.

I think there is something to be said for a Clemson team that can realistically rally around an “us against the world” mentality, something Dabo Swinney has been very effective with during his career. Still, there are holes at nearly every level of this roster, and they should not be ahead of teams like Houston, Louisville or even Illinois.

2026 National Championship Odds: +11000
1. Ohio State Buckeyes (#1, 38 1st Place Votes)
The Ohio State Buckeyes might end up being the best team in the land and winning Ryan Day's second National Championship. It's not ridiculous to describe the Buckeyes as having the most talented group of skill players in the country, with superstar Jeremiah Smith Jr. at wide receiver and five-star freshman Chris Henry Jr. headlining the wide receiver room. Add sophomore Bo Jackson at running back and quarterback Julian Sayin with a year of experience under his belt, and you have the makings of a truly dynamic attack.

That written, where are the voters getting the supreme level of confidence in the defense? The Buckeyes lost several first-round picks from the defense, and they did not replace those superstars with commensurate talent. Ohio State's defense is not going to be bad, but it's fair to say that it is not an elite unit on paper. Given the unknowns on one side of the ball and the fact that OSU lost to Indiana and Miami to close last season, they should not be considered the runaway number one team right now.

2026 National Championship Odds: +600
2. Texas A&M Aggies (#8)
The Texas A&M Aggies had a great 2025 under Mike Elko, and this is a program on the rise, but number eight feels too high. The Aggies lost their final two games, ending a very positive campaign on a sour note. In those final two games, mercurial quarterback Marcel Reed had five turnovers and zero touchdowns, and it’s fair to wonder if last season's record was inflated by a relatively soft schedule and a hot start with a win over CJ Carr before he gained experience.

Nine starters are returning, and a lot of talent, but the Aggies should not be ahead of more proven teams like Ole Miss, at least until they show the end of last season was not a trend.

2026 National Championship Odds: +2000
3. Texas Tech Red Raiders (#12)
This is harsh, but the Texas Tech Red Raiders have a massive question at quarterback, and until they show that question has a good answer, they should not be near the top ten. Look at how last season ended as the Red Raiders were humbled by the Oregon Ducks in the Cotton Bowl.

Texas Tech aggressively pursued Brendan Sorsby, and that shows you they didn’t have a ton of belief in Will Hammond to get them over the hump from a good team to a true contender.

2026 National Championship Odds: +2200
4. Penn State Nittany Lions (#17)
Penn State is being ranked here because of the extremely friendly schedule more than because of the quality of the roster. The Nittany Lions fell into what will probably look like a great hire when they landed Matt Campbell, and the former Iowa State head coach brought a lot of quality players with him to State College. Rocco Becht is a very solid quarterback, and the skill players are decent and have familiarity with the offensive system. That written, the Cyclones were just 5-4 in the mediocre Big 12 with those players. How much better will they be in the tougher Big Ten?

The defense is probably more concerning as several high-impact defensive linemen exited and the replacements do not look to be of the same quality.

2026 National Championship Odds: +6000
5. Clemson Tigers (#23)
I understand giving Dabo Swinney the benefit of the doubt and expecting a rebound from a disastrous 7-5 season. However, the Tigers lost their starting quarterback, starting running back, best offensive lineman, and several drafted defensive stars from that 7-5 team and are now being ranked in the top 25? That does not add up.

I think there is something to be said for a Clemson team that can realistically rally around an “us against the world” mentality, something Dabo Swinney has been very effective with during his career. Still, there are holes at nearly every level of this roster, and they should not be ahead of teams like Houston, Louisville or even Illinois.

2026 National Championship Odds: +11000
1. Ohio State Buckeyes (#1, 38 1st Place Votes)
The Ohio State Buckeyes might end up being the best team in the land and winning Ryan Day's second National Championship. It's not ridiculous to describe the Buckeyes as having the most talented group of skill players in the country, with superstar Jeremiah Smith Jr. at wide receiver and five-star freshman Chris Henry Jr. headlining the wide receiver room. Add sophomore Bo Jackson at running back and quarterback Julian Sayin with a year of experience under his belt, and you have the makings of a truly dynamic attack.

That written, where are the voters getting the supreme level of confidence in the defense? The Buckeyes lost several first-round picks from the defense, and they did not replace those superstars with commensurate talent. Ohio State's defense is not going to be bad, but it's fair to say that it is not an elite unit on paper. Given the unknowns on one side of the ball and the fact that OSU lost to Indiana and Miami to close last season, they should not be considered the runaway number one team right now.

2026 National Championship Odds: +600

5 Most Overrated Teams in College Football Coaches Poll

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