Preseason Polls Fail to Predict Chaos in College Football Landscape

As the 2025 college football season enters its final stretch, it's become clear that preseason polls and predictions have been largely unreliable. Unranked teams like third-ranked Texas A&M and second-ranked Indiana have defied expectations, while the ACC preseason poll completely missed the mark on several top contenders.

The ACC's preseason poll ranked the conference's current top-five teams in Week 12 as third, fourth, sixth, ninth, and 14th, a far cry from their actual standings. Similarly, the Big 12 media opted not to do a preseason poll this year after last year's winner, Arizona State, was picked to finish last.

Even the author's own predictions at Oddly Specific have struggled to keep up with the chaos, posting a 59-41 overall record and only recently achieving a rare winning week against the spread. The unpredictable nature of this season has left many analysts and fans alike scratching their heads.