Georgia, Michigan, Alabama top college football preseason coaches poll

On the heels of consecutive national championships, Georgia is ranked No. 1 in the annual preseason coaches poll compiled by USA Today.

The Bulldogs went 15-0 last season and trounced TCU in the national title game after a close call vs. Ohio State in the College Football Playoff semifinals. UGA will be working in some new personnel this season — most notably at quarterback — but still has an incredibly loaded roster and a very manageable schedule.

Behind Georgia in the preseason poll at No. 2 is Michigan, the two-time defending Big Ten champion. The Wolverines have defeated Ohio State and won a conference title in the past two seasons but have lost in the CFP semifinals each time. That’s the next hurdle to clear for Jim Harbaugh’s program.

After Michigan is Alabama at No. 3, Ohio State at No. 4 and LSU at No. 5. Alabama had two regular-season losses last year and is working through a preseason quarterback competition as it looks to get back to the CFP. Ohio State also has a QB competition but has one of the best receivers in the country in Marvin Harrison Jr. LSU, meanwhile, is entering its second season under Brian Kelly and is coming off a surprise SEC West title in 2022.

Rounding out the top 10 are USC at No. 6, Penn State at No. 7, Florida State at No. 8, Clemson at No. 9 and Tennessee at No. 10.

USC returns Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams at quarterback and is looking to win the Pac-12 for the first time since 2017 before departing for the Big Ten next season. Penn State, meanwhile, is looking to leap-frog Michigan and Ohio State in the Big Ten East with a stellar running game and a talent-rich defense.

Clemson has won the ACC title in seven of the past eight seasons, but many are predicting Florida State to surge past Clemson this season. So it’s notable that the Seminoles have edged the Tigers in the preseason poll.

And for Tennessee, the Vols are looking to compete with Georgia in the SEC East on the heels of a breakthrough 11-win season.

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Further down the list are No. 11 Washington and No. 12 Texas. UW was one of the surprises of the sport by winning 11 games while Texas has a loaded roster and is receiving plenty of preseason hype yet again. Will the Longhorns live up to it before exiting the Big 12 for the SEC?

Other notable rankings include TCU, last year’s national runner-up, at No. 16 and Kansas State, the defending Big 12 champion, at No. 17.

The only non-Power Five team in the Top 25 is Tulane at No. 23. The Green Wave won the AAC title last fall and then had a thrilling come-from-behind upset victory over USC in the Cotton Bowl.

Below is the full Top 25, plus the teams that received votes.

1. Georgia

2. Michigan

3. Alabama

4. Ohio State

5. LSU

6. USC

7. Penn State

8. Florida State

9. Clemson

10. Tennessee

11. Washington

12. Texas

13. Notre Dame

14. Utah

15. Oregon

16. TCU

17. Kansas State

18. Oregon State

19. Oklahoma

20. North Carolina

21. Wisconsin

22. Ole Miss

23. Tulane

24. Texas Tech

25. Texas A&M

Others receiving votes: Iowa 169; South Carolina 89; Florida 63; Texas-San Antonio 59; Pittsburgh 52; UCLA 42; Kentucky 34; Baylor 28; Troy 25; Arkansas 20; NC State 19; Fresno State 19; Boise State 18; Auburn 18; Minnesota 16; Miami 16; Mississippi State 13; Oklahoma State 12; Missouri 11; Maryland 10; Southern Methodist 8; South Alabama 8; Illinois 7; Wake Forest 6; Air Force 6; Toledo 5; Washington State 4; Houston 3; Duke 2; Brigham Young 2; Arizona 2; Memphis 1; Kansas 1; James Madison 1.