Alabama is ranked No. 3 in the nation in the Associated Press’ preseason poll released Sunday.
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TCU was second followed by Alabama, Baylor and Michigan State to round out the top five.
It means all 61 first-place votes went to Urban Meyer’s crew in the first edition of this season’s AP poll, the first team ever to be a unanimous preseason No. 1. In regard to conference strength, the SEC has eight teams ranked in the top 25 and the Pac-12 has six teams so far.
Ohio State, which won the national championship last season, is considered a favorite to repeat as Big Ten conference and national champions this year. The 42-20 victory over the Ducks silenced any critics that felt Ohio State should have been passed over for TCU or Baylor in the final selections.
Auburn is sixth, then Oregon, USC, Georgia and Florida State. Ohio State opens the season as the highest workforce for the primary time since 2006. The other previous years with three teams in the AP preseason poll were in 1998, 2010 and 2014. It’s a positive sight for head coach Butch Jones and his program, which continues to evolve from a potential-laden team to one with aspirations of winning the SEC East Division.
By being among the top-10 teams to start 2015, Baylor has now also appeared in the AP Top 10 in 24 of the last 27 weeks.
This marks the fourth straight year Clemson has been ranked in the preseason top 25 by the Associated Press. This season, they’ll start in the top five, as well.
However, the successful handling of a tough schedule, the quick rise to the top and the returning Heisman contender apparently don’t impress the voters.
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Just like they did in the Coaches’ Poll, the Mississippi State Bulldogs have found themselves on the outside looking in at the AP poll as well.
