The NFCA and ESPN/USA Top 25 Preseason Rankings landed January 26, and we noticed some very large discrepancies from our list we put out a day earlier. It seems as though the NFCA and ESPN think that the 2016 season picks up exactly where the 2015 ended— Not so, friends.

Seniors have graduated, freshies are on campus, and it’s a whole new ball game. Both polls have Florida and Michigan as No. 1 and 2, respectively— the EXACT spots they finished in 2015. Really? No. 1 and 2 haven’t finished the same way two years in a row in over a decade, and it’s never happened in the best-of-three WCWS championship era. We— and everyone else in softball— have some serious questions, namely how does Florida replace the Lauren Haeger? She and Bailey Castro combined for 36 home runs and 107 RBIs last season! Additionally, no team besides UCLA in 1988-1990 has ever three-peated. EVER.

As for Michigan, they should be a shoo-in for OKC. The Wolverines return Megan Betsa, Sierra Romero, Sierra Lawrence, and Kelly Christner, all with WCWS experience. Expect Michigan to also bring in their ninth straight Big Ten Title.

Out on the West Coast, the Oregon Ducks are flying strong and fast. Their strongest returners are Cheridan Hawkins, Janelle Lindvall, Jenna Lilley, and Gwen Svekis. They’re gritty enough to be at the top, but is their bullpen deep enough to go all the way?

Both the NFCA and ESPN/USA had the Auburn Tigers ranked below 15 in 2015, and the Tigers sure proved them wrong. No longer is Auburn the dark horse of the SEC. Every pitcher dreads the day they have to face the Tiger offense. Auburn is the best comeback team in the country, but the BIG question with them is if can they come back after two injuries to their starting middles. Read the full story here.

The Oklahoma Sooners make for an interesting— and no doubt heated— conversation. They lose Lauren Chamberlain, Shelby Pendley, Georgia Casey, and Jessica Vest; but what’s even more concerning is that they lose their hitting coach, Tripp Mackay. Under Mackay, OU set program single-season records for batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, runs scored, home runs and walks. Perhaps the new field can make up for some of the lost talent on the field?

Florida State is no doubt the strongest team to come out of the ACC, but to have them top 10 after having lost Lacey Waldrop and Maddie O’Brien seems generous. Jessica Burroughs will need to emerge as the new ace in the circle.

The Georgia Bulldogs are ranked too low. Period. They return their senior ace Chelsea Wilkinson, Alex Hugo who hit 22 homeruns last season, and the Emmanuel sisters who combined for 67 steals. No way they don’t make top 10.

Kentucky is ranked way too high. Last season they only won five conference games. FIVE! And both polls generously had the Wildcats top 10 in 2015’s preseason polls. Seems as though they’ve made the same mistake this year.

Texas A&M finished eighth in the SEC with 12 wins, and they should warrant a higher ranking, especially over Kentucky. The ESPN/USA poll doesn’t even have them in the top 25 but has Kentucky 19! Though the Aggies lose Rachel Fox in 2016, they still have their top offensive player and pitcher, Tori Vidales, and Katie Marks, respectively.

Utah is our dark horse in 2016. The Utes have a strong pitching staff that finished fourth in the Pac-12 in front of Washington, Cal, Oregon State, and Stanford. Keep an eye out for the Utes.