AP Poll: Alabama No. 1 in preseason rankings
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Alabama's quest to repeat as national champions begins Sept. 3, and with the No. 1 ranking in hand.
The Crimson Tide were voted atop the AP Poll preseason rankings Sunday, where no team has both started and ended the season since USC in 2004. Coincidentally, the reigning titleholders open their schedule against the Trojans, which landed the No. 20 position.
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Clemson, which finished last season at No. 2 after dropping the title game to Alabama, is in the same spot to start the new campaign. Oklahoma, Florida State, and LSU round out the top five.
The SEC leads all conferences with five teams in the rankings, three of which secured a spot within the top 10.
| Rank | School |
|---|---|
| 1 | Alabama |
| 2 | Clemson |
| 3 | Oklahoma |
| 4 | Florida State |
| 5 | LSU |
| 6 | Ohio State |
| 7 | Michigan |
| 8 | Stanford |
| 9 | Tennessee |
| 10 | Notre Dame |
| 11 | Ole Miss |
| 12 | Michigan State |
| 13 | TCU |
| 14 | Washington |
| 15 | Houston |
| 16 | UCLA |
| 17 | Iowa |
| 18 | Georgia |
| 19 | Louisville |
| 20 | USC |
| 21 | Oklahoma State |
| 22 | North Carolina |
| 23 | Baylor |
| 24 | Oregon |
| 25 | Florida |