College football's offseason has been filled with change. But the more things change, the more they stay the same, and Alabama starts the 2021 season just as it ended the 2020 season -- atop the polls. The Coaches Poll was the first major preseason poll to be released on Tuesday, and the Crimson Tide are ranked No. 1 with all 63 first-place votes.
The other two first-place votes went to Oklahoma, the No. 3 team in the preseason poll. Though the Sooners will be joining Alabama in the SEC in the future, they are considered by many pundits to be among the favorites to win the College Football Playoff this year. Though Clemson did not receive any first-place votes, the Tigers came in at No. 2, while Ohio State and Georgia rounded out the top five.
Texas A&M, Notre Dame, Iowa State, North Carolina and Cincinnati, all of which are considered dark horse playoff contenders, filled out the top 10.
Here's a look at the full poll which was released on Tuesday (first-place votes in parenthesis):
- Alabama (63)
- Clemson
- Oklahoma (2)
- Ohio State
- Georgia
- Texas A&M
- Notre Dame
- Iowa State
- North Carolina
- Cincinnati
- Florida
- Oregon
- LSU
- USC
- Wisconsin
- Miami (FL)
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Texas
- Penn State
- Washington
- Oklahoma State
- Louisiana
- Coastal Carolina
- Ole MIss
Others receiving votes: Utah 145; Northwestern 120; Arizona State 90; Auburn 84; Liberty 68; Brigham Young 53; Texas Christian 48; Michigan 30; Central Florida 29; NC State 27; Boise State 27; Kentucky 20; San Jose State 18; Army 13; Virginia Tech 9; Missouri 8; UCLA 7; Tulsa 6; Pittsburgh 6; Boston College 6; Houston 5; Ball State 5; West Virginia 4; Southern Methodist 4; Appalachian State 4; UAB 3; Arkansas 3; Nevada 2; Mississippi State 2; Air Force 2; Stanford 1; Marshall 1; Florida State 1; California 1.