The Associated Press released its annual preseason Top 25, and the defending national champion Clemson Tigers will enter the season ranked No. 1, just ahead of the team they beat in the title game, Alabama.
Georgia comes in at the No. 3 slot, with Oklahoma and Ohio State rounding out the first rankings of the 2019 season.
| Rank | School | 2018 Record | 2018 Final Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Clemson | 15-0 | 1 |
| 2 | Alabama | 14-1 | 2 |
| 3 | Georgia | 11-3 | 7 |
| 4 | Oklahoma | 12-2 | 4 |
| 5 | Ohio State | 13-1 | 3 |
| 6 | LSU | 10-3 | 6 |
| 7 | Michigan | 10-3 | 14 |
| 8 | Florida | 10-3 | 7 |
| 9 | Notre Dame | 12-1 | 5 |
| 10 | Texas | 10-4 | 9 |
| 11 | Oregon | 9-4 | N/R |
| 12 | Texas A&M | 9-4 | 16 |
| 13 | Washington | 10-4 | 13 |
| 14 | Utah | 9-5 | N/R |
| 15 | Penn State | 9-4 | 17 |
| 16 | Auburn | 8-5 | N/R |
| 17 | UCF | 12-1 | 11 |
| 18 | Michigan State | 7-6 | N/R |
| 19 | Wisconsin | 8-5 | N/R |
| 20 | Iowa | 9-4 | 25 |
| 21 | Iowa State | 8-5 | N/R |
| 22 | Syracuse | 10-3 | 15 |
| 23 | Washington State | 11-2 | 10 |
| 24 | Nebraska | 4-8 | N/R |
| 25 | Stanford | 9-4 | N/R |
Clemson, which is the preseason No. 1 for the first time in history, received 52 first-place votes while Alabama earned the remaining 10.
