West Virginia in ‘Others Receiving Votes’ Category of First AP Top 25 Poll

West Virginia received four votes in the first USA TODAY Coaches Poll, and in the first 2021-22 AP Top 25 Poll, the Mountaineers received three votes.

The AP Poll is the premier college football rankings poll during the early portion of the collegiate season, giving way to the College Football Playoff Poll toward the end of the season. A panel of 62 sportswriters and broadcasters vote weekly for the AP Poll.

The AP Top 25 Preseason College Football Poll.https://t.co/QCVrAx9RCd

— Ralph D. Russo (@ralphDrussoAP) August 16, 2021

Alabama is the top team in both the Coaches Poll and the AP Poll, garnering 1,548 points and 47 first-place votes in the AP. Oklahoma (1,462 points and six first-place votes), Clemson (1,447 points and six first-place votes), Ohio State (1,393 points and one first-place vote) and Georgia (1,364 points and three first-place votes) round out the Top 5.

Texas A&M (1,223), Iowa State (1,160), Cincinnati (1,014), Notre Dame (1,009) and North Carolina (999) finish the Top 10.

Five SEC schools headlined the AP Poll, including three in the Top 10. Five Big 10 schools, five Pac 12 schools, three ACC schools and three Big 12 schools comprise the Power Five’s ranked teams.

Aside from Oklahoma and Iowa State, Texas is the lone Big 12 school ranked in the Top 25, coming in at 21.

Oklahoma State and TCU received the first and third most votes from schools that just missed out on the Top 25, receiving 107 and 40 votes, respectively. Ole Miss, with 106 votes, received the second most votes in the “others receiving votes” category.

WVU received three votes, the 41st most votes among schools receiving votes from the AP panel. With votes in both the Coaches Poll and AP Poll, albeit not many, WVU appears to be on the outside edge of national consideration moving into the 2021-22 season.

With non-conference games against Maryland and Virginia Tech to begin the season, WVU’s week four contest against Oklahoma could feature two ranked Big 12 teams if the Mountaineers enter with a 3-0 record.