Clemson is starting No. 1. Again.
The Tigers are the AP Poll's preseason No. 1 team for the second year in a row, as Clemson received 38 of a possible 62 first-place votes. Last year was the first time Clemson opened in the top spot in AP Poll history.
After Clemson, Ohio State, Alabama, Georgia and Oklahoma round out the top five. Alabama is in the preseason top five for the 12th consecutive season. Defending national champion LSU is No. 6 in the poll.
No matter what happens on the field, the next AP Poll this season will look different. Though voters were able to consider all Division I teams in the preseason poll, . So teams in the Big Ten, Pac-12, MAC and Mountain West, along with other schools that aren't playing this fall because of COVID-19, will not be in the AP Poll the rest of the season.
AP Poll: Preseason Top 25
| Rank | Team | 2019 record | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Clemson | 14-1 | 1,520 (38) |
| 2 | Ohio State | 13-1 | 1,504 (21) |
| 3 | Alabama | 11-2 | 1,422 (2) |
| 4 | Georgia | 12-2 | 1,270 |
| 5 | Oklahoma | 12-2 | 1,269 |
| 6 | LSU | 15-0 | 1,186 (1) |
| 7 | Penn State | 11-2 | 1,147 |
| 8 | Florida | 11-2 | 1,125 |
| 9 | Oregon | 12-2 | 1,119 |
| 10 | Notre Dame | 11-2 | 995 |
| 11 | Auburn | 9-4 | 852 |
| 12 | Wisconsin | 10-4 | 840 |
| 13 | Texas A&M | 8-5 | 764 |
| 14 | Texas | 8-5 | 703 |
| 15 | Oklahoma State | 8-5 | 672 |
| 16 | Michigan | 9-4 | 611 |
| 17 | USC | 8-5 | 534 |
| 18 | North Carolina | 7-6 | 496 |
| 19 | Minnesota | 11-2 | 451 |
| 20 | Cincinnati | 11-3 | 234 |
| 21 | UCF | 10-3 | 229 |
| 22 | Utah | 11-3 | 211 |
| 23 | Iowa State | 7-6 | 199 |
| 24 | Iowa | 10-3 | 134 |
| 25 | Tennessee | 8-5 | 133 |
Others receiving votes: Memphis 86, Virginia Tech 85, Boise State 68, Arizona State 66, Miami (FL) 42, Louisville 32, Appalachian State 26, Washington 21, Kentucky 20, Indiana 19, Baylor 15, California 11, TCU 9, Virginia 7, Navy 6, Florida State 6, SMU 3, Mississippi State 3, Air Force 3, Northwestern 1, UAB 1
Since the AP Poll first released a preseason poll in 1950, it has often included Ohio State. Though the Buckeyes will not play this fall along with the rest of the Big Ten, Ohio State's preseason ranking is the 67th in its history. The Buckeyes have been ranked in every preseason poll since 1989.
Last season, LSU began the year ranked No. 6 – the same as this season. The Tigers didn't reach No. 1 until it moved to 8-0 after beating top-10 Auburn 23-20 on Oct. 26. LSU remained No. 1 the rest of the season.
Since 1950, Alabama has been No. 1 more than anyone else — 122 times. Of those appearances, 87 have come since 2008 with coach Nick Saban.
Here's a look at which teams have been ranked No. 1 the most, from 1950 through the 2019 season.
Here's a look at the 2019 preseason poll and how each ranked team ended up. Teams in bold moved up from their preseason ranking:
| 2019 PRESEASON RANK | TEAM | FINAL RECORD | FINAL 2019 RANKING |
|---|---|---|---|
| No. 1 | Clemson | 14-1 | No. 2 |
| No. 2 | Alabama | 11-2 | No. 8 |
| No. 3 | Georgia | 12-2 | No. 4 |
| No. 4 | Oklahoma | 12-2 | No. 7 |
| No. 5 | Ohio State | 13-1 | No. 3 |
| No. 6 | LSU | 15-0 | No. 1 |
| No. 7 | Michigan | 9-4 | No. 18 |
| No. 8 | Florida | 11-2 | No. 6 |
| No. 9 | Notre Dame | 11-2 | No. 12 |
| No. 10 | Texas | 8-5 | No. 25 |
| No. 11 | Oregon | 12-2 | No. 5 |
| No. 12 | Texas A&M | 8-5 | NR |
| No. 13 | Washington | 8-5 | NR |
| No. 14 | Utah | 11-3 | No. 16 |
| No. 15 | Penn State | 11-2 | No. 9 |
| No. 16 | Auburn | 9-4 | No. 14 |
| No. 17 | UCF | 10-3 | No. 24 |
| No. 18 | Michigan State | 7-6 | NR |
| No. 19 | Wisconsin | 10-4 | No. 11 |
| No. 20 | Iowa | 10-3 | No. 15 |
| No. 21 | Iowa State | 7-6 | NR |
| No. 22 | Syracuse | 5-7 | NR |
| No. 23 | Washington State | 6-7 | NR |
| No. 24 | Nebraska | 5-7 | NR |
| No. 25 | Stanford | 4-8 | No. 6 |
