Alabama will begin its quest for a second consecutive national championship with a rare feat.
The Crimson Tide is just the second team to be ranked No. 1 in the preseason Associated Press Top 25 poll for three straight seasons. Alabama received 42 out of 61 first-place votes.
No. 2 Clemson received 18 first-place votes. Georgia is No. 3 and Wisconsin is fourth. The Badgers received one first-place vote. Ohio State was ranked fifth.
The preseason AP poll started in 1950 and since then only Oklahoma from 1985-87 had started No. 1 in three straight years until now.
The Sooners are ranked No. 7 in this year's poll, while in-state rival Oklahoma State received votes but did not make the top 25.
The Southeastern Conference leads the way with six teams in the Top 25. The Big Ten is next with five teams while the Big 12 and ACC each had four.
See the full AP poll below:
The Top 25 teams in The Associated Press preseason college football poll, with first-place votes in parentheses, records, total points based on 25 points for a first-place vote through one point for a 25th-place vote, and 2017 final ranking:
Record Pts Pv
1. Alabama (42) 13-1 1505 1
2. Clemson (18) 12-2 1476 4
3. Georgia 13-2 1350 2
4. Wisconsin (1) 13-1 1271 7
5. Ohio St. 12-2 1256 5
6. Washington 10-3 1215 16
7. Oklahoma 12-2 1173 3
8. Miami 10-3 1027 13
9. Auburn 10-4 1013 10
10. Penn St. 11-2 1012 8
11. Michigan St. 10-3 877 15
12. Notre Dame 10-3 804 11
13. Stanford 9-5 778 20
14. Michigan 8-5 773 NR
15. Southern Cal 11-3 543 12
16. TCU 11-3 533 9
17. West Virginia 7-6 511 NR
18. Mississippi St. 9-4 450 19
19. Florida St. 7-6 384 NR
20. Virginia Tech 9-4 351 24
21. UCF 13-0 312 6
22. Boise St. 11-3 292 22
23. Texas 7-6 216 NR
24. Oregon 7-6 148 NR
25. LSU 9-4 106 18
Others receiving votes: South Carolina 96, Florida 68, Utah 60, Oklahoma St. 51, FAU 38, Arizona 28, NC State 22, Texas A&M 21, Boston College 18, Northwestern 13, Kansas St. 10, Iowa St. 8, Houston 6, Memphis 3, Troy 2, Iowa 2, Kentucky 1, Arkansas St. 1, Fresno St. 1.
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