Clemson Ranked #1 in College Football AP Preseason Poll

Defending National Champion Clemson is still the best college football team in the nation until proven otherwise according to the preseason AP College Football poll. The Tigers completed an undefeated 2018 season by demolishing previously unbeaten Alabama 44-16 in the College Football Championship game back on January 7th. This is the first time Clemson has opened the season at #1.

Alabama is ranked #2. The Crimson Tide and Tigers have won the last four National Championships in alternating years. Although Alabama is second, it’s a distant second to Clemson, with the Tigers getting 52 first place votes and the Crimson Tide 10 votes. The SEC is well represented in the poll, as it always is. Besides #2 Alabama, the conference has Georgia at #3, LSU at #6, Florida at #*, Texas A & M at #12, and Auburn at #16. The Big 12’s Oklahoma is fourth; also representing that conference is Texas at #10, and Iowa State at #21. Unlike all the other teams mentioned, the Cyclones are not regular visitors to the Preseason Top 25.

Ohio State is #5. The Buckeyes have a new head coach, but are still the favorites to win the Big Ten. Michigan (#7), Penn State (#15), Michigan State (#18), Wisconsin (#19), Iowa (#20), and Nebraska (#24) are the other Big Ten representatives in the poll.

The Pacific 12, which has been down the last couple of years, has five teams in the rankings, none of which are in the top 10. Oregon is #11, followed by #13 Washington,#14 Utah, #23 Washington State, and #25 Stanford.

Notre Dame is #9, Central Florida, still trying to gain more respect is #17, and Syracuse,the only other ACC team in the poll besides Clemson, is #22. There will be talk about how Notre Dame is overrated, but they will get a chance to show what they can do early on, playing at Georgia on September 21st. Central Florida, which saw its 25 game winning streak come to an end with a 40-32 loss to LSU in the Fiesta Bowl, has the disadvantage of playing in a non-Power Five conference. The Knights’ only game against a currently ranked team is a September 14th home game against Stanford.

Here’s some highlights from last season’s National Championship: