The 2022 college football season is right around the corner, which means it’s preseason rankings time. The annual preseason Coaches Poll was released Monday with Alabama earning the honor to enter the season with another No. 1 ranking after it picked up the same position in the Preseason CBS Sports 131 last week. The Crimson Tide picked up 1,634 overall points while gaining 54 of 66 first-place votes.
Alabama enters the season with the reigning Heisman Trophy winner at quarterback in junior Bryce Young along with junior EDGE threat Will Anderson Jr. and a pedigree of success under legendary coach Nick Saban. Ohio State checks in at the No. 2 spot. Coach Ryan Day’s team, led by Heisman Trophy contender C.J. Stroud at quarterback, earned five first-place votes and 1,564 overall points.
Defending national champion Georgia earned the No. 3 spot but eclipsed Ohio State with six first-place votes, while Clemson and Notre Dame rounded out the top five despite major coaching turnover.
Here’s a look at the entire top 25, according to the 66 coaches who voted in the poll (first-place votes in parenthesis).
Preseason Coaches Poll
- Alabama (54)
- Ohio State (5)
- Georgia (6)
- Clemson
- Notre Dame
- Michigan
- Texas A&M
- Utah
- Oklahoma
- Baylor
- Oklahoma State
- Oregon
- North Carolina State
- Michigan State
- USC
- Pittsburgh
- Miami
- Texas (1)
- Wake Forest
- Wisconsin
- Kentucky
- Cincinnati
- Arkansas
- Ole Miss
- Houston
Others receiving votes: Iowa 248; Penn State 246; Tennessee 163; BYU 152; LSU 143; Auburn 98; UCF 55; North Carolina 34; San Diego State 25; Fresno State 21; Mississippi State 19; Florida 17; Utah State 12; Air Force 12; UCLA 10; Boise State 10; Appalachian State 10; Minnesota 6; South Carolina 5; Kansas State 4; Iowa State 3; Army 3; Louisiana 2; SMU 2; Purdue 2; Oregon State 2; Coastal Carolina 2; UTSA 1; Louisville 1; Florida State 1.