As excitement builds for the upcoming college football season, Atlanta is buzzing with the announcement of the preseason AP Poll. For the second straight year, Georgia takes the top spot as the number one team. Following closely are Ohio State at number two and Oregon at number three. Rounding out the top five are Texas at number four and Alabama at number five.
The top ten is filled with powerhouse programs, with Ole Miss at six, Notre Dame at seven, Penn State at eight, Michigan at nine, and Florida State completing the list at ten. This year, the SEC and Big Ten dominate the top tiers, each featuring four teams in the top ten.
Georgia’s success is attributed to their returning Heisman candidate quarterback, Carson Beck, who decided to stay for his final season. The reigning national champions, Michigan, fell to ninth after losing a significant number of players to the NFL draft. This season, both Texas and Alabama will also showcase their Heisman candidate quarterbacks, Quinn Ewers and Jalen Milroe.
This year, 12 of the top 25 teams will be starting new quarterbacks, including four in the top ten. The upcoming Week 1 schedule features crucial games, especially the matchup between top-ranked Georgia and Clemson, which is set to take place in a high-stakes neutral site game. Other notable games include Florida State battling Georgia Tech in Dublin, and a highly anticipated showdown between Notre Dame and Texas A&M.
With the preseason poll setting the stage, the countdown to the thrilling college football season has officially begun. Fans can expect action-packed matchups as teams aim for a spot in the coveted College Football Playoff.