Ohio State leads college football tiers one-third into season
With about a third of the season complete, the AP Top 25 is divided into six tiers. Ohio State is presented as the top team despite an early loss. The piece groups teams from ranked squads to potential playoff contenders, including Boise State, USC, LSU, and Florida.
With about a third of the college football season complete, the AP Top 25's ranked teams are sorted into six categories. Ohio State sits at the top of the hierarchy even though it already has a loss. The lower tiers include Missouri, Kentucky, UCLA, SMU, Houston, Tennessee, and Mississippi State.
A middle group features Boise State, Oklahoma State, USC, Iowa, Texas Tech, LSU, Ole Miss, and Florida. These squads could win a playoff game or two. Utah, BYU, Alabama, and Indiana form an untested-but-good tier. The article also notes Boise State's path as a Group of 6 contender.
This tiering may shape fan debates and media narratives about which teams deserve playoff consideration. Ranked programs and their supporters could feel validated or slighted, while recruits and casual viewers may be drawn to storylines around Ohio State, Boise State, USC, LSU, and Florida. Because the season is only partly complete, these judgments may shift quickly, affecting how teams are discussed before results settle the picture.