Rival Views: The most underrated team in the AP Top 25

Rivals.com National Recruiting Director Mike Farrell and National Recruiting Analyst Adam Gorney don’t always see eye to eye. In this edition of Rival Views, the two debate about which AP Top 25 team is the most underrated.

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I’ve been very impressed with the Hokies so far this season, their first under new head coach Justin Fuente.

I was a bit worried after the loss to Tennessee because they put the ball on the ground so much and were careless. Following that game, I felt this would be a season of ups and downs for the Hokies as they adjusted to a new coach and offense, but they have rebounded impressively with three straight wins by an average of 39 points. They dismantled a very solid defense in a 49-0 win over Boston College, they destroyed ACC slayer East Carolina and this past weekend they routed North Carolina 34-3.

New quarterback Jerod Evans has flourished under Fuente and he’s instantly become one of the most efficient quarterbacks in the country. And on defense, Bud Foster has the Hokies humming with the nation’s No. 2 defense. I didn’t expect Virginia Tech to be in the ACC Coastal Division hunt, but now they appear to be the clear favorite. One loss to a top 10 team should probably put them ahead of two-loss teams like Florida State and Ole Miss.

A case could be made for undefeated teams like Boise State, West Virginia and Western Michigan if you want to look at them, but I’ll take the one-loss Hokies over many teams ahead of them and that will play out the rest of this season.

Auburn coach Gus Malzahn was clearly on the hot seat entering this season - and he might not be completely off yet - but the Tigers are quietly playing some really solid football and could be poised for a big finish.

Auburn is my selection as the most underrated team in the AP Top 25.

The Tigers are one of four teams in the rankings with two losses and arguably only Arkansas has “better” defeats at the hands of Alabama and Texas A&M. But even that is close.

The only teams to beat Auburn this season was Clemson in a 19-13 battle and Texas A&M, 29-16, which was a six-point game at halftime. Let’s remember Clemson and A&M are ranked third and sixth, respectively, and deservedly so.

Since that loss to A&M, Auburn has beaten LSU, crushed poor ULM and then went to Mississippi State last weekend and completely dominated in a 38-14 victory.

The point I’m trying to make is that Auburn has shown to be a really solid team this season even if its offense is not blowing people away.

With a defense so stout all over the field, the Tigers should stay in every game even when better teams – like Clemson and Texas A&M – have more firepower. And this past weekend it looked like the offense was much better than it has been all season.

Auburn is not going to the College Football Playoff this year. And in the SEC, there are many challenges ahead. Malzahn has this team peaking in the midseason and nobody seems to be talking about the Tigers but they’re getting better and they’re underrated right now.