With the start of the college football season less than a month away, the time has come to unveil the preseason US LBM Coaches Poll. And this year, the results create some history and guarantee that the campaign will begin with even more than the usual bang.
The Buckeyes received 20 first-place votes heading an almost equally crowded field of Big Ten contenders. The No. 1 vs No. 2 matchup in the season opener is unprecedented in the history of the coaches poll, and the hype leading up to the clash in Columbus will be as well.
TOP 25: Complete preseason US LBM coaches poll
OUTLOOKS: Breaking down every Top 25 team in poll
Penn State, expected to be Ohio State’s primary Big Ten challenger, is No. 3 with 14 top nods, giving the preseason poll three teams with double-digit first-place votes for the first time since 2012. Georgia, accustomed to high starting positions in recent years, will begin at No. 4 while claiming three No. 1 votes. Notre Dame, last season’s runner-up, didn’t pick up any firsts in preseason balloting but enters the campaign in good position at No. 5.
The last two No. 1 votes went to Clemson, which will open at No. 6 overall. Oregon is No. 7, with Alabama, LSU and Miami (Fla.) rounding out the initial top 10. The Crimson Tide’s ranking at No. 8 is the lowest in the preseason poll since the second season under Nick Saban in 2008.
The SEC, in addition to its quartet ranked No. 9 or higher, has a total of nine teams in the Top 25, with a couple more just outside the poll. The Big Ten has six ranked squads in all. Those include No. 12 Illinois getting its highest starting spot since 1990, and last year’s surprise playoff team Indiana opening at No. 19.
The Big 12 has five teams ranked, albeit none higher than defending champion Arizona State at No. 11. The ACC placed its two favorites in the top 10 but only one other, No. 16 SMU, landed in the top 25.
No. 25 Boise State is the lone representative of the Group of Five leagues to crack the poll.