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The 2020 college football season will look different than we could have ever imagined thanks to the coronavirus pandemic, but that hasn’t stopped the Associated Press from dropping the preseason AP Top 25 poll.
In anticipation of the season, the AP Top 25 poll was released with the Clemson Tigers sitting in the top spot for the second year in a row.
The Ohio State Buckeyes, who will not play in the fall due to the Big Ten’s decision to suspend the season, sit at No. 2, while the Alabama Crimson Tide, Georgia Bulldogs, and Oklahoma Sooners round out the top five.
Where does your favorite team stand entering the season in the eyes of the Associated Press voters?
The preseason AP Top 25 poll can be seen below.
AP Top 25 College Football Rankings — Preseason Poll
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(Teams with an * have postponed the 2020 season due to the coronavirus pandemic)
- Clemson (38)
- Ohio State (21)*
- Alabama (2)
- Georgia
- Oklahoma
- LSU (1)
- Penn State*
- Florida
- Oregon*
- Notre Dame
- Auburn
- Wisconsin*
- Texas A&M
- Texas
- Oklahoma State
- Michigan*
- USC*
- North Carolina
- Minnesota
- Cincinnati
- UCF
- Utah*
- Iowa State
- Iowa*
- Tennessee
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
The Associated Press rankings carry more weight than polls like the Coaches Poll and FWAA Poll, as they are part of the deciding factor on which teams reach the College Football Playoff. The Coaches Poll, which is not part of the College Football Playoff selection committee’s formula to determine the four teams that will compete for the College Football Playoff National Championship, is voted on by 65 FBS head coaches.
Longtime college football writers who vote in the Associated Press Top 25 Poll include Ben Jones, Bill Landis, Brett McMurphy, Brian Howell, Rece Davis, Rob Long, Robert Gagliardi, Steve Layman, Steve Virgen, Tom Murphy, and Tony Parks.
The Associated Press began its college football poll on Oct. 19, 1936, and it is now the longest-running poll of those that award national titles at the end of the season. The preseason poll was started in 1950. A panel of 62 sports writers and broadcasters from around the country votes on the poll weekly.
