Part three of five! Entering some of the real question marks about the AP poll. A couple of teams I feel are underrated (Tennessee, Utah), a couple of teams I think are overrated (LSU, Mizzou), and a team I'm not certain about but we should know in the first month and a half if they have a shot at the CFP.

15 - Tennessee (+170)

After a spectacular campaign in '22, Heupel and the Vols saw a bit of regression with Milton under center rather than Hooker. However, they were not terrible, still winning nine games and putting up 35 in the Citrus Bowl against a sturdy Iowa team.

This year, a playoff is attainable up on Rocky Top, but to make it they need 10 wins at least. Expectations are sky high for sophomore quarterback Nico Iamaleava. And, they should be - the dual-threat quarterback could be one of the nation's best, especially dropped into Heupel's high-tempo offense. In last year's Citrus Bowl, he threw for a TD and ran for another three.

Their defense up front is also a sneaky problem for teams, last year ranking fourth in the nation in tackles for a loss. That being said, their secondary is a question mark featuring five brand new starters. They also have one of the more challenging schedules in the SEC with three of their four games against ranked preseason opponents coming on the road, including Georgia in mid-November. Still, I think the Vols can get to 10 wins if Nico can live up to half the hype. At plus 170, the Vols would be a good bet to make the College Football Playoff.

14 - Clemson (+190)

"Hickory Dickery Dock, the mouse ran up the clock, coach Swinney's got that drip, and now he's on TikTok." I think about this Dabo video constantly when I think about Clemson football. They have been to the playoff only once since. On a related note that coincides with the transfer portal and NIL rules. The Clemson Tigers and Dabo Swinney refuse to take part in any way to buy into the new landscape of college football. Meanwhile, ACC teams like Miami and Florida State are flourishing under the changing landscape of college football.

Still, Dabo should be able to continue his success on defense. The question mark here is Cade Klubnik, who was a huge disappointment for the Tigers who started '23 2-2 and would go on to finish 8-4. This year they will start 0-1 as week one has them facing national title favorite Georgia. They will also face a preseason ranked Wolfpack in week three and be on the road in week five to see preseason ranked FSU. After that, their schedule should be quite favorable. But, if they are not able to go at least 3-2 and win out, they will not be in the title game. With that in mind, it has been 15 years since Clemson has had back-to-back seasons with fewer than 10 wins, so history says they will have a chance to play in a win-and-in ACC title game, but we should know pretty early if they will get that chance.

13 - LSU (+120)

Brian Kelly killed a kid. I was devastated when Coach Kelly was hired to the Tigers. After being a Coach O supporter and a bandwagon '19 fan, I loved this school. And then they fired a walking sound bite in Coach Orgeron and hired famed murderer Brian Kelly.

It was tough to stop loving the Tigahs the last couple years though, especially when they picked up my baby boy Jayden Daniels. But, this is the year when I can get back to my roots and remind anyone who will listen that Brian Kelly killed a kid. They also are just flat out overrated.

Last season they relied heavily on the offense to make plays; that offense lost its top two receivers to the NFL as well as the aforementioned Heisman winner Daniels. Their defense was atrocious and even with slight improvement, the regression on the other side of the ball has this to me as an 8-4 team not playing in the conference championship.

I think week one they lose to USC at a neutral site and lose to both Ole Miss and Bama at Tiger Stadium in the back half of the season. LSU will not make the playoff or be a top four team in the Southeastern Conference.

That being said, week one should be a fun one against SC as both teams are looking to improve on defense and hoping they have retained the explosiveness of their previous offense. I love the week one over in Vegas when they meet. And, if LSU has improved on defense, they could maybe get to 10 wins. But, they will definitely still have a head coach who killed a kid.

12 - Utah (+220)

This year's Big 12 favorite ironically comes in ranked 12th in the AP preseason poll. The biggest addition to Kyle Whittingham's program is the return of super-super senior Cam Rising. After a season plagued by injury not just to their star QB but their top three offensive weapons, the Utes are looking to make a splash in their new home, the Big 12.

Whittingham is one of the best coaches in college football - he is 162-79 as a head coach and is getting back his trusted on-field play caller in Rising. The Utes also have just two preseason ranked opponents on their schedule, one of whom (OSU) I think is a bit overrated. They avoid both Kansas and K-State until a possible conference championship. Even with the uncertainty of the chaotic Big 12, at more than 2-1 odds, Utah getting to the playoff is a good bet.

11 - Missouri (+175)

There is a lot to love about the Tigers living down in Columbia. They are coming off a spectacular 11-2 season. They have returning talent at QB in Brady Cook, who threw for over three thousand yards. Cook is also getting back almost all of his receiving corps in Theo Wease Jr. and Mookie Cooper, tight end Brett Norfleet, and potential All-American Luther Burden III in his third season. They also have one of the more favorable schedules in the SEC, facing only three preseason ranked opponents and avoiding Georgia, Tennessee, Texas, and Ole Miss. That being said, it is more likely than not they will not be building on last year's season. Their defense lost most of their top talent (3 of 4 top tackles and 3 NFL DBs). Regression exists in college football and Mizzou should still be a 10-win team that will be fun for their fan base. They just are unlikely to find themselves in the top three of the conference and for that reason will not be heading to the CFP.

Join me for the next installment that cracks the top ten AP poll ranked teams. Can't wait to talk about last year's national champ in Michigan, the transfer portal titans down at Ole Miss, America's team Notre Dame, and those pesky Nittany Lions who the playoff was seemingly created for.