AP Top 25 Draws Bias Criticism Over 3-Loss SEC Teams and No. 4 Notre Dame

Q: Does the AP Top 25 poll secretly rig the College Football Playoff by favoring historic brands over actual on-field victories?

No. There is no evidence the AP Top 25 “secretly rigs” the College Football Playoff, but there is strong evidence that the poll can shape the atmosphere around it and may reward brand names and conference reputation more than pure résumé. The AP poll is a media ranking, not the CFP ranking. The playoff field is chosen by a separate committee that is supposed to use its own criteria, including wins and losses, strength of schedule, head-to-head results, common opponents and conference-opponent strength. Formally, the AP poll does not decide anything. What critics are pointing to is a real perception problem. Texas at No. 10 despite two poor losses, Missouri staying ranked after ugly defeats, Florida and South Carolina remaining in the poll with multiple losses, and Notre Dame at No. 4 ahead of unbeaten UCLA and one-loss Indiana all suggest that voters may still lean on brand value, preseason expectations and SEC or Big Ten status. That matters because rankings create narratives. “Ranked wins” and “top-10 matchups” become part of how teams are discussed by television, coaches and fans, and those labels can bleed into playoff debates even if the committee is independent. The concern is influence, not proof of a fix. The fairest reading is that the AP poll is not rigging the CFP, but it likely does help frame the playoff conversation in ways that can benefit historic powers and major conferences. That is a bias issue, not a conspiracy.

2 articles · Updated · Fox News · Nov 3

This week’s AP Top 25 is under fire for ranking 3-loss Florida and South Carolina while leaving out 2-loss Northwestern and placing Texas at No. 10 despite two poor losses.
The criticism centers on perceived SEC favoritism and brand-name bias, with voters accused of giving extra weight to conference reputation and preseason expectations rather than current resumes.
Notre Dame’s No. 4 spot has also drawn scrutiny: the 7-1 Irish sit ahead of undefeated UCLA and 1-loss Indiana despite losing their only tough game at BYU.
The dispute matters beyond optics because AP rankings can shape the early narrative before the College Football Playoff committee issues the rankings that ultimately count.