The Week 3 slate of the 2026 college football season is officially in the rearview mirror, and what a wild ride it was. But before we gear up for a monster Week 4 — think Texas vs. Tennessee and Ole Miss vs. Florida in the SEC — the new Top 25 Coaches Poll has dropped, and it's sparking a full-blown fan revolt.
Critics aren't just questioning a few spots; they're calling the entire poll "trash." The outrage is loudest over Ole Miss, which just toppled LSU at home, yet still sits at No. 6. How, fans ask, does a team with that kind of résumé not crack the top two or three?
College football analyst Josh Pate didn't mince words on X: "This week's AP Poll was a wet bag of trash." Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy piled on, saying, "The rankings in the AP top 25 are an absolute joke." The sentiment is echoed across social media, with fans and pundits alike pointing to a systemic problem: preseason rankings are casting too long a shadow.
"We rank teams based on their logo & conference affiliation. Always have & always will," one fan lamented. Another added, "I agree with Pate." ESPN's Adam Rittenberg chimed in, "Part of the reason why I can’t stand preseason rankings. They linger and make the sport look dumber. Ole Miss has to be 1 or 2."
The debate has even spilled into broader concerns about the College Football Playoff committee's process, with one fan noting, "The preseason AP poll leads to so much bias, which unfortunately, leads to bias in the CFP committee." It's a sentiment that echoes the recent fan fury over the Education Department's controversial post, showing that trust in the sport's institutions is fragile.
Is It Time for a Ranking Overhaul?
The backlash raises a fair question: Should college football rethink how it ranks teams during the season? The current model, which leans heavily on preseason expectations, often rewards teams for living up to hype rather than for what they've actually accomplished on the field. That's a recipe for frustration, especially when a team like Ole Miss delivers a statement win and still can't climb the ladder.
Fans are also drawing parallels to other sports' missteps, like the criticism Chris Simms leveled at ESPN and College GameDay for perceived political bias, suggesting that the media's role in shaping narratives is under a microscope. And when the rankings feel predetermined, it undermines the excitement of the season itself.
Some argue the solution is simple: release the preseason rankings, but allow them to be fluid based on weekly performance. Others want to scrap them entirely, letting the first few weeks of play speak for themselves. The NFL doesn't have a preseason poll, and it works just fine — maybe college football could take a page from that book.
As the Week 4 showdowns approach, the controversy isn't likely to fade. With Texas, Tennessee, Ole Miss, and Florida all in action, the on-field results could force a shake-up — or add more fuel to the fire. For now, the fans have spoken, and they're not happy. The question is whether the pollsters are listening.
