Pitt left off Top 25 preseason poll, but no big deal … rankings have created talking points for 88 years
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Monday was a big day for those who follow college football. The Associated Press released its preseason Top 25 poll.
With 60 of 63 possible votes, defending champion Georgia is the overwhelming choice for the No. 1 team in the land, followed by Michigan, Ohio State and Alabama. Penn State is picked No. 7. Pitt and West Virginia are unranked.
Preseason @AP_Top25:
1 Georgia
2 Michigan
3 Ohio St
4 Alabama
5 LSU
6 USC
7 Penn St
8 Florida St
9 Clemson
10 Washington
11 Texas
12 Tennessee
13 Notre Dame
14 Utah
15 Oregon
16 Kansas St
17 TCU
18 Oregon St
19 Wisconsin
20 OU
21 UNC
22 Ole Miss
23 Texas A&M
24 Tulane
25 Iowa— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) August 14, 2023
Don’t like the picks. Actually, you should respect those 63 voters and their difficult task. They’re being asked to list the best 25 teams in the nation — in order — before anyone plays a game. More than half of summer training camp remains for most teams.
But the AP poll is steeped in tradition, gives birth to several talking points throughout the season and isn’t going away. The College Football Playoff committee chooses the Final Four (12, starting next year), but the poll still matters to fans, media, players and coaches — even while most of that latter group won’t admit it.
How did it start? With controversy, of course.
The father of the poll is, by all accounts, Alan J. Gould, an AP sports editor of the 1920s and 1930s. No doubting his credentials as a journalist. He later was the AP’s chief editor whose guidance led to 14 Pulitzer Prizes for the news-gathering organization.
In 1935, Gould declared a three-way tie for the national championship among Minnesota, Princeton and SMU.
Minnesota fans didn’t take kindly to sharing, so it was suggested Gould create a poll of sports editors. A year later, the poll was born. It started with 20 teams and went to 10 from 1961-67 before settling on the present-day 25 in 1988.
Getting down to the business of this year’s preseason poll, there will be some people unhappy that all but four voters left Pitt off their ballots.
The four who showed respect for the Panthers are Greg Madia of the Daily Progress of Charlottesville, Va. (No. 19); Ryan Aber of the Oklahoman in Oklahoma City, Okla. (No. 20); Tom D’Angelo of the Palm Beach (Fla.) Post (No. 24); and James Williams of the Southern California News Group (No. 25). That was good for 16 voting points, putting Pitt 34th.
Madia said he feels justified in his projection, based on the continuity coach Pat Narduzzi has built in his program.
“Pitt belongs in the preseason Top 25 for a few reasons,” he wrote in response to a request from the Tribune-Review. “I think, in general, coach Pat Narduzzi has built a stable program and usually the Panthers are going to play steady defense and stay in games because of it. They’ve given up 40 points or more in a game only twice in the past two seasons and that’s a recipe for success in college football.
“I’m also a believer in that Boston College transfer quarterback Phil Jurkovec will have a bounce back year while reuniting with offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti Jr. and be more effective playing behind a better offensive line. Last year, no Power Five team gave up more sacks per game than Boston College.
“Pitt has three starters back up front in standout Matt Goncalves plus Jake Kradel and Blake Zubovic, and that should benefit Jurkovec.”
Aber also referenced Jurkovec in his column.
“Transfer QB Phil Jurkovec (BC) must stay healthy for Pitt to make a run in the ACC. The early schedule works in Panthers’ favor before facing Notre Dame, FSU in consecutive weeks.”
On the other hand, Johnny McGonigal, a former Pitt beat writer who covers Penn State for Harrisburg-based PennLive.com, was one of 59 voters who did not rank the Panthers.
He said what led him away from ranking Pitt is why the program remains in good shape. It lost too many good players to the NFL.
“There were a few factors that went into it,” said McGonigal, who covered Pitt during the 2019, 2020 and 2021 seasons. “But for me the biggest was the fact that they have so much lost production from last season. It’s tough to rebound when you lose six guys to the draft and five additional undrafted free agents. Not only just 11 good players, but in some cases leaders on the team. Having covered them knowing what a Haba Baldonado, what a Deslin Alexandre meant to the team, you don’t replace that immediately.
“That’s a good thing for the program that they had that many guys (go the NFL). It speaks to the developmental nature of the program and how well they’ve done from that end. Until they show that they have those next guys stepping up, that’s the key.”
McGonigal said a 3-0 start against Wofford, Cincinnati and West Virginia could have Pitt inching toward the Top 25. “It could be just a matter of time,” he said.
In the end, the preseason poll is not meant to be a predictor of the season’s final outcomes, just an assessment of where teams stand in August.
College football insider Brett McMurphy, who was nominated in 2010 for a Pulitzer Prize in Investigative Reporting and now writes for Stadium, pointed out some interesting facts about the poll.
For example:
From unranked to Top 10: There has been at least one team every season in past 30 years – w/exception of 2011 & 2020 – that started season unranked but finished in final AP top 10 poll. Last year TCU, Tennessee, Penn State & Washington did. Which unranked team finishes in Top 10?
— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) August 14, 2023
• A total of only 10 schools, including Pitt, were in the 2022 preseason and final Top 25 polls.
• There has been at least one team in 28 of the past 30 years (exceptions, 2011 and 2020) that started unranked but finished in final AP top 10. TCU, Tennessee, Penn State and Washington did so last year.
• There are 10 active coaches whose teams were in the preseason Top 25 but ended up unranked. Jimbo Fisher did it three times.
Don’t like the preseason top 25? Don’t worry, it will change drastically. Last year only 10 schools started season in preseason @AP_Top25 poll & finished year in final @AP_Top25 poll. Georgia, Michigan, Alabama, Ohio State, Clemson, Pitt, Notre Dame, Oregon, USC & Utah
— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) August 14, 2023
The lesson for Pitt fans: Complain about a lack of respect, if it makes you feel better, but your team will have ample opportunity to prove 59 sports journalists wrong.