The Washington Huskies may have made it all the way to the national championship game, but the folks voting in the 2024 preseason AP poll aren't too worried about that.
And it kinda makes sense given all of the new that Washington is experiencing this season.
First and foremost, to state the very glaringly obvious, this season is a new season. On top of that, the Huskies are in a new conference. There's a new head coach on Montlake. Washington enters the season with a ton of new faces all over the roster.
A lot has changed from last season. So, more or less, it kinda makes a little sense that the AP poll wouldn't have the Huskies in the top 25 heading into the season. That said, it's still a little disappointing to see Washington on the outside looking in.
Washington Huskies football left outside of 2024 AP poll preseason college football top 25 rankings
The Georgia Bulldogs, led by Kirby Smart, claimed the top spot in the rankings. Just behind them sit the Ohio State Buckeyes and Oregon Ducks. And it's worth noting that any three of those teams could conceivably make a national championship run this season.
The Texas Longhorns claim the No. 4 spot, which seems fine. It's worth wondering how recent (and unfortunate) injuries will alter UT's season, but the Longhorns have an abundance of talent on their roster.
After Texas comes the Alabama Crimson Tide to round out the top five teams. Here's what the full preseason college football top 25 looks like, according to the AP poll voters:
- Georgia Bulldogs
- Ohio State Buckeyes
- Oregon Ducks
- Texas Longhorns
- Alabama Crimson Tide
- Ole Miss Rebels
- Notre Dame Fighting Irish
- Penn State Nittany Lions
- Michigan Wolverines
- Florida State Seminoles
- Missouri Tigers
- Utah Utes
- LSU Tigers
- Clemson Tigers
- Tennessee Volunteers
- Oklahoma Sooners
- Oklahoma State Cowboys
- Kansas State Wildcats
- Miami Hurricanes
- Texas A&M Aggies
- Arizona Wildcats
- Kansas Jayhawks
- USC Trojans
- North Carolina State Wolfpack
- Iowa Hawkeyes
If you were to continue the rankings on to include teams that received votes, you wouldn't get to Jedd Fisch and the Washington Husky football team until you got to No. 32.
According to AP poll voters, the Louisville Cardinals, Virginia Tech Hokies, Boise State Broncos, SMU Mustangs, Iowa State Cyclones, and Liberty Flames are all ahead of the Huskies going into the 2024 Washington Husky football season.
That's, more or less, a little frustrating. It's understandable given all of the new that's on Washington's roster, but it's still disappointing to see the Huskies on the outside looking in here. But, they've got a great chance to prove themselves now.