SB Nation

ESPN.com releases new preseason Top 25 rankings

Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

ESPN.com released a new set of preseason college football rankings this week. As you'd expect, Pitt doesn't make an appearance. There is, however, good ACC representation.

Overall, five ACC programs made it, headlined by No. 2 Clemson. Also in are No. 4 Florida State, No. 19 North Carolina, No. 24 Miami, and No. 25 Louisville. Obviously, the bottom three are barely in and, early on, anyway, Clemson and Florida State look like the two locks to be real contenders.

Not seeing Pitt isn't a surprise. The Panthers were briefly ranked last season, but stumbled at the end of the year. And when you consider the loss of Tyler Boyd with that disappointing finish, it makes sense that they're not getting much early recognition. I wouldn't entirely rule the team out of getting into the polls at some point, but unlike last year, the Panthers won't have the benefit of playing a light schedule early on. Penn State shows up in the second game before they travel to Oklahoma State and North Carolina in the 3rd and 4th contests.

Alabama topped the list at No. 1.

Be sure to join Cardiac Hill's Facebook page and follow us on Twitter@PittPantherBlog for our regular updates on Pitt athletics. Follow the author and founder/editor @AnsonWhaley.

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