"This is a fu****g joke. Rage bait is all it is": CFB fans erupt as Brett McMurphy puts Georgia at No. 1 in Preseason AP Poll

As the 2025 season approaches, On3’s Brett McMurphy has released his college football preseason AP Poll. The poll, featuring Georgia at No. 1, came out on Monday ahead of the official AP top 25 scheduled to be released on Aug. 11

.

McMurphy’s poll has ignited reactions from fans across social media, especially on X (formerly Twitter). Here are some reactions from fans.

“This is a fu****g joke. Rage bait is all it is!” one fan said. “Red Raiders slide in at 23 here. One of the three Big 12 teams to get a nod in the rankings. Cool to see the off season work be recognized,” another fan said. “Always one of the worst AP voters," one fan said.

More fans chimed in with their reactions.

“Yeah, no way Scar was going to be ranked... They’ve been over hyped all summer. As usual, Ohio St is too high,” one fan said. “Gunner Stockton sucks and can’t throw the ball. I don’t even know if we beat Marshall. This guy has no idea what he’s talking about,” another fan said. “No Gamecocks for free clicks, nice Brett you know ball," one fan said.

---

Does the preseason AP poll affect teams’ chances of becoming national champions?

While the preseason AP poll is a strong indicator of a team’s strength going into the season, it holds no bearing on how it performs. In the past 25 years, only USC in 2004 and Alabama in 2017 debuted at No. 1 and ended up as the eventual national champions.

However, the preseason AP poll has consistently been a strong predictor of which team might end the season as the national champion. Historically, teams ranked within the top five have mostly emerged as national champions. Since the CFP era began, only one team started the season outside the top five of the preseason AP poll and went on to win the national championship.

The exception to the historical rule was the 2019 LSU Tigers team, which went 15-0 after starting the season at No. 6. The Tigers’ historic run in 2019, with a 15-0 record, is only the second by any team since the turn of the 20th century.

Most recently, Georgia debuted at No. 1 in the last preseason AP poll, failing to win the 2024 national championship. However, the Bulldogs emerged as champions of the SEC, while Ohio State, debuting at No. 2, went on to become the national champions.

The national championship will be decided this season with the expanded college football playoffs format, featuring 12 teams.

Edited by nagpaltusharn25