Alabama tops preseason AP Top 25 for 9th time

With two of the perfect gamers within the nation main the best way — and a championship-game loss as motivation — Alabama is No. 1 within the Related Press preseason school soccer ballot for the second straight season and ninth time general.

Reigning Heisman Trophy winner Bryce Younger, nationwide defensive participant of the 12 months Will Anderson Jr. and the Crimson Tide acquired 54 of 63 first-place votes and 1,566 factors within the High 25 offered by Areas Financial institution launched on Monday.

Ohio State is No. 2 with six first-place votes (1,506 factors) from the media panel, and defending nationwide champion Georgia is third with three first-place votes (1,455 factors). Clemson is No. 4. Notre Dame rounds out the highest 5, organising a tantalizing opener at Ohio State on Sept. 3.

The Tide’s preseason No. 1 rating is their seventh in 15 years beneath coach Nick Saban. For the reason that preseason rankings began in 1950, solely Oklahoma, with 10 appearances, has been No. 1 within the preliminary ballot extra typically than Alabama.

The Crimson Tide began final season No. 1 and completed ranked No. 2 after shedding the nationwide championship sport to the Southeastern Convention-rival Bulldogs.

Saban not too long ago referred to as 2021 a rebuilding season for his Tide dynasty, which has gained six nationwide titles over the previous 13 years. He has a degree. Younger was in his first season as a starter final 12 months, taking part in behind an inexperienced offensive line. He was unfazed, throwing for 4,872 yards and 47 touchdowns.

Anderson was a drive on the opposite aspect of the ball as Alabama broke in a again seven with largely new starters. The sophomore led the nation in tackles for loss with 33.5, 11.5 greater than No. 2 on the listing.

Ohio State brings again a Heisman Trophy finalist at quarterback in C.J. Stroud, whereas at Georgia, a lot of the key gamers from the most effective school defenses of the previous 25 years at the moment are within the NFL. Nonetheless, quarterback Stetson Bennett and All-America tight finish Brock Bowers return to a Bulldogs offense that might be much more explosive in 2022.

Texas A&M, which completed final season unranked regardless of handing Alabama its solely regular-season loss, begins this season No. 6.

Defending Pac-12 champion Utah is seventh, the perfect preseason rating at school historical past. Defending Large Ten champion Michigan is No. 8 after making the playoff for the primary time final season.

No. 9 Oklahoma is the highest-ranked Large 12 college, one spot forward of defending league champion Baylor.

POLL POINTS

Alabama has been within the preseason prime 5 in every of the previous 14 seasons and within the preseason prime three in 13 straight. The Tide’s thirty first preseason top-five rating this 12 months matches Ohio State for essentially the most in ballot historical past.

Turning preseason No. 1 right into a nationwide championship has proved difficult all through historical past, even for Alabama.

The Crimson Tide have gone on to win the nationwide championship after beginning No. 1 simply as soon as beneath Saban and twice general.

For the reason that AP preseason ballot started in 1950, there have been 11 preseason No. 1 groups that additionally completed the season top-ranked. Alabama was the final to do it (2017).

RARITIES AND STREAKS

• No. 13 North Carolina State is ranked within the preseason ballot for the primary time since 2003. The Wolfpack matched their greatest preseason rating; they had been additionally thirteenth in 1975.

• No. 17 Pitt is within the preseason rankings for the primary time since 2010.

• No. 20 Kentucky is making its first preseason ballot look since 1978.

• No. 22 Wake Forest made the preseason rankings for the primary time since 2008.

• Ohio State is ranked within the preseason for the thirty fourth straight season, breaking a tie with Nebraska (1970-2002) and Penn State (1968-2000) for the longest such streak in ballot historical past.

• Texas A&M has the second-best preseason rating for a crew that completed the earlier season unranked. Ohio State was No. 3 within the 1972 preseason ballot after being unranked on the finish of the 1971 season, and Notre Dame began No. 6 in 1983 after ending unranked in 1982.

How did the seasons work out for these groups? Ohio State went 9-2 and completed the season No. 9. The Irish went 7-5 and unranked once more.

NOTABLE LEFT-OUTS

• LSU with new coach Brian Kelly will begin the season unranked for the primary time since 2000, Saban’s first of 5 seasons as coach of the Tigers.

• Florida and Florida State are each unranked to begin the season, which has not occurred since 1974.

NEWBIES

5 colleges ranked within the preseason ballot have head coaches beginning their first full seasons main their groups: Notre Dame (Marcus Freeman), Oklahoma (Brent Venables), No. 11 Oregon (Dan Lanning), No. 14 USC (Lincoln Riley) and No. 16 Miami (Mario Cristobal).

That is the second time prior to now 5 seasons that 5 groups with new coaches had been ranked within the preseason, based on analysis accomplished by Sportradar. It additionally occurred in 2018, however earlier than that season, that kind of illustration within the preseason ballot for groups with new coaches was a rarity.

It’s a must to go all the best way again to 1990, when six colleges with coaches getting into their first full season, appeared within the preseason High 25, based on Sportradar. That listing contains some notable names: Gary Moeller, Michigan; Ken Hatfield, Clemson; Gene Stallings, Alabama; Jack Crowe, Arkansas; Paul Hackett, Pittsburgh; and John Jenkins, Houston.

CONFERENCE CALL

For the fourth straight season, the SEC has three groups within the prime six.

The Atlantic Coast Convention matched its greatest displaying within the preseason ballot with 5 groups. The ACC has reached that quantity 4 earlier instances.

SEC — 6 (Nos. 1, 3, 6, 19, 20, 21).

ACC — 5 (Nos. 4, 13, 16, 17, 22).

Large Ten — 4 (Nos. 2, 8, 15, 18).

Large 12 — 3 (Nos. 9, 10, 12).

Pac-12 — 3 (Nos. 7, 11, 14).

American — 2 (Nos. 23, 24).

Independents — 2 (Nos. 5, 25).