The preseason Amway Coaches Poll, with outlooks for the top 25: 1. Alabama (13-1) Points: 1,621 (61 first-place votes). Previous ranking: 1. Opens: Sept. 1 vs. Louisville in Orlando (ABC, 8) Outlook: Coming off their fifth title in nine seasons, the Crimson Tide have more questions than usual with an unsettled quarterback situation, major losses on defense and changes at both coordinator positions. Still, this is a team full of talent, and Nick Saban knows how to navigate this type of challenge. TIDE RISING:Alabama in familiar spot at No. 1 to start season SNUBS:Five teams that should have been part of the preseason poll MISSING MARK:Overrated and underrated teams in the Top 25 2. Clemson (12-2) Points: 1,547 (3). Previous ranking: 4. Opens: Sept. 1 vs. Furman Outlook: If defense wins championships, then the Tigers are well-positioned to make their fourth consecutive playoff appearance. Christian Wilkins heads a dominant defensive line. QB Kelly Bryant led Clemson to 12 wins in his first year as a starter, but his job status is tenuous with incoming freshman Trevor Lawrence in the mix. CONFERENCE PREVIEW: ACC 3. Ohio State (12-2) Points: 1,458 (1). Previous ranking: 5. This week: Sept. 1 vs. Oregon State (ABC, noon) Outlook: On the field, the Buckeyes have enough talent to repeat as Big Ten champions with RB J.K. Dobbins and DL Nick Bosa among their standouts. The chief concern is off the field. Head coach Urban Meyer is on leave as the school investigates his possible knowledge of alleged abuse by a former assistant. CONFERENCE PREVIEW: Big Ten 4. Georgia (13-2) Points: 1,452. Previous ranking: 2. Opens: Sept. 1 vs. Austin Peay (ESPN, 3:30) Outlook: The sting of losing to Alabama in overtime in the championship game will provide motivation. QB Jake Fromm looks to avoid a sophomore slump. The defense should again be one of the top units in the country. Deandre Baker and J.R. Reed lead the secondary. CONFERENCE PREVIEW: SEC 5. Oklahoma (12-2) Points: 1,288. Previous ranking: 3. Opens: Sept. 1 vs. Florida Atlantic (Fox, noon) Outlook: Replacing Heisman winner Baker Mayfield isn’t the team’s biggest concern. Kyler Murray should be fine at QB with RB Rodney Anderson and a talented group of wide receivers as support. The defense, last seen being torched by Georgia in the Rose Bowl, has to improve. CONFERENCE PREVIEW: Big 12 6. Washington (10-3) Points: 1,245. Previous ranking: 15. Opens: Sept 1 vs. No. 10 Auburn in Atlanta (ABC, 3:30) Outlook: The Huskies have QB Jake Browning and RB Myles Gaskin returning to its offense as they bid to reach the playoff for the second time in three seasons. The season opener against Auburn should tell a lot about whether they’re a contender or just the best team in the Pac-12. CONFERENCE PREVIEW: Pac-12 7. Wisconsin (13-1) Points: 1,243. Previous ranking: 6. Opens: Aug. 31 vs. Western Kentucky (ESPN, 9) Outlook: Known more for being vanilla on offense and stingy on defense, the Badgers may flip the script this season. Backed by one of the nation’s top offensive lines and RB Jonathan Taylor, they should be explosive. Another unbeaten regular season is possible if the defense can overcome some key losses. CONFERENCE PREVIEW: Big Ten 8. Miami (Fla.) (10-3) Points: 1,091. Previous ranking: 13. Opens: Sept. 2 vs. No. 24 LSU in Arlington, Texas (ABC, 7:30) Outlook: The Hurricanes had a dream start last season with 10 consecutive wins before ending with a thud. LB Shaq Quarterman is part of an athletic defense that should be improved. The question is if the offense can do its part. Better play from QB Malik Rosier is pivotal. CONFERENCE PREVIEW: ACC 9. Penn State (11-2) Points: 1,050. Previous ranking: 8. Opens: Sept. 1 vs. Appalachian State (BTN, 3:30) Outlook: Gone are RB Saquon Barkley and three of the top four receivers. That’s the bad news. QB Trace McSorley and a veteran offensive line provide optimism that the Nittany Lions still will be good enough to make a run at the Big Ten title and possibly a College Football Playoff berth. CONFERENCE PREVIEW: Big Ten 10. Auburn (10-4) Points: 1,004. Previous ranking: 12. Opens: Sept. 1 vs. No. 6 Washington in Atlanta (ABC, 3:30) Outlook: The only team to beat Alabama last year, the Tigers start this season focused on repeating as SEC West champs. QB Jarrett Stidham looks to be more comfortable in his second season as the starter. The success of the season likely comes down to November trips to Georgia and Alabama. CONFERENCE PREVIEW: SEC 11. Notre Dame (10-3) Points: 892. Previous ranking: 11. Opens: Sept. 1 vs. No. 14 Michigan (NBC, 7:30). Outlook: With some key losses on the offensive line, the success of the Irish likely will fall to whether QB Brandon Wimbush can be more consistent throwing the ball. The defense will be better, but a tough schedule, starting with Michigan, will be difficult to manage without support from the offense. IRISH OUTLOOK:Notre Dame has strong team but difficult schedule 12. Michigan State (10-3) Points: 870. Previous ranking: 16. Opens: Aug. 31 vs. Utah State (BTN, 7) Outlook: After missing a bowl game in 2016, the Spartans have 19 starters back from last year’s team that won 10 games. QB Brian Lewerke provides a running and passing threat. The defense, led by DL Kenny Willekes, is good enough to have them contend in the Big Ten. CONFERENCE PREVIEW: Big Ten 13. Stanford (9-5) Points: 768. Previous ranking: 19. Opens: Aug. 31 vs. San Diego State (FS1, 9) Outlook: RB Bryce Love decided to skip the NFL draft, giving the Cardinal one of the top weapons in college football. QB K.J. Costello, who welcomes back his top four receivers, has to do his part to take some pressure off Love. The defense was down a notch last year and is expected to be better. CONFERENCE PREVIEW: Pac-12 14. Michigan (8-5) Points: 752. Previous ranking: not ranked. Opens: Sept. 1 at No. 11 Notre Dame (NBC, 7:30) Outlook: The pressure is officially on Jim Harbaugh, who is 1-5 against rivals Ohio State and Michigan State in his three seasons. Shea Patterson, a transfer from Mississippi, is expected solve the team’s problems at quarterback. The defense was inexperienced last year and still ranked second in the Big Ten. That’s a good sign for this season. CONFERENCE PREVIEW: Big Ten 15. Southern California (11-3) Points: 691. Previous ranking: 10. Opens: Sept. 1 vs. UNLV (Pac-12, 4) Outlook: It likely will be the defense, led by DL Christian Rector and LB Cameron Smith, that becomes the strength of the Trojans after the departure of QB Sam Darnold. With no significant experience at the position, true freshman J.T. Daniels could win the starting job which could mean some early growing pains. CONFERENCE PREVIEW: Pac-12 16. TCU (11-3) Points: 530. Previous ranking: 9. Opens: Sept. 1 vs. Southern Outlook: This should be another overachieving season for the Horned Frogs. Again, defense will be the team’s backbone. DL Ben Banogu is a dominant pass rusher, and LB Ty Summers patrols the middle. QB Shawn Robinson is young, but he will have two outstanding receivers in KaVontae Turpin and Jalen Reagor. CONFERENCE PREVIEW: Big 12 17. Virginia Tech (9-4) Points: 524. Previous ranking: 25. This week: Sept. 3 at No. 19 Florida State (ESPN, 8) Outlook: QB Josh Jackson looks to blossom in his second season as the starter, especially if a No. 1 option steps up at wide receiver. The defense, always good under coordinator Bud Foster, will have DL Ricky Walker up front. There are major holes to fill in the secondary with several significant departures. CONFERENCE PREVIEW: ACC 18. Mississippi State (9-4) Points: 407. Previous ranking: 20. Opens: Sept. 1 vs. Stephen F. Austin (ESPNU, 7:30) Outlook: New coach Joe Moorhead is blessed with one of the most-talented rosters in the SEC. QB Nick Fitzgerald appears to be a perfect fit in former Penn State coordinator’s offense. DL Jeffrey Simmons is one of the conference’s top defenders. CONFERENCE PREVIEW: SEC 19. Florida State (7-6) Points: 328. Previous ranking: not ranked. Opens: Sept. 3 vs. No. 17 Virginia Tech (ESPN, 8) Outlook: Willie Taggart’s first big decision as Seminoles coach will picking between Deondre Francois and James Blackman at quarterback. RB Cam Akers is set for a breakout season as a sophomore. The defense is young and talented. It will need to grow up fast. CONFERENCE PREVIEW: ACC 20. West Virginia (7-6) Points: 310. Previous ranking: not ranked. Opens: Sept. 1 vs. Tennessee in Charlotte (CBS, 3:30) Outlook: The Mountaineers should be one of the more entertaining teams in the country with QB Will Grier throwing and wideouts David Sills V and Gary Jennings catching. LB David Long and DB Dravon Askew-Henry provide two leaders in the back seven of the defense. CONFERENCE PREVIEW: Big 12 21. Texas (7-6) Points: 265. Previous ranking: not ranked. Opens: Sept. 1 at Maryland (FS1, noon) Outlook: After leading the program to its first winning season since 2013, Tom Herman is looking to make the next step toward having the Longhorns back among the elite. Sam Ehlinger and Shane Buechele likely will share time at quarterback. Improved play at running back and the offensive line is essential. CONFERENCE PREVIEW: Big 12 22. Boise State (11-3) Points: 261. Previous ranking: 22. Opens: Sept. 1 at Troy (ESPNews, 6) Outlook: The Broncos are blessed with senior QB Brett Rypien, a deep backfield, options at wide receiver and depth on both lines. They’ll make another run at the Group of Five berth in one of the major bowls. 23. Central Florida (13-0) Points: 259. Previous ranking: 7. Opens: Aug. 30 at Connecticut (ESPNU, 7) Outlook: Under new head coach Josh Heupel, the Knights are primed for another successful season after being the lone unbeaten in FBS in 2017. QB McKenzie Milton will head a prolific offense. How quickly the defense develops will determine if UCF can avoid a loss. CONFERENCE PREVIEW: American 24. LSU (9-4) Points: 254. Previous ranking: 18. Opens: Sept. 2 vs. No. 8 Miami (Fla.) in Arlington, Texas (ABC, 7:30) Outlook: Ed Orgeron changed offensive coordinators and brought in Ohio State QB transfer Joe Burrow to help remedy the program’s difficulty throwing the ball. Those changes must to be successful as expectations for the Tigers are to contend in the SEC West, which it has not won since 2011. CONFERENCE PREVIEW: SEC 25. Oklahoma State (10-3) Points: 168. Previous ranking: 14. Opens: Aug. 30 vs. Missouri State (FS1, 8) Outlook: The Cowboys mostly lived on the arm of QB Mason Rudolph last year, but with his departure RB Justice Hill should carry the load of the offense. Most of the key contributors return on defense. DL Jordan Brailford has the potential to break out after six sacks last year. CONFERENCE PREVIEW: Big 12 Dropped out: No. 17 Northwestern (10-3), No. 21 South Florida (10-2), No. 23 North Carolina State (9-4), No. 24 Memphis (10-3). Other receiving votes: South Carolina (9-4) 138; Florida (4-7) 135; Oregon (7-6) 105; Utah (7-6) 81; Northwestern (10-3) 67; Texas A&M (7-6) 67; Kansas State (8-5) 35; Florida Atlantic (11-3) 27; Boston College (7-6) 23; Memphis (10-3) 23; North Carolina State (9-4) 22; Arkansas State (7-5) 19; Troy (11-2) 19; Appalachian State (9-4) 16; San Diego State (10-3) 15; Iowa (8-5) 8; Iowa State (8-5) 8; Kentucky (7-6) 8; Washington State (9-4) 7; South Florida (10-2) 6; Duke (7-6) 5; Fresno State (10-4) 4; Louisville (8-5) 3; Arizona (7-6) 2; Houston (7-5) 2; Army (10-3) 1; Northern Illinois (8-5) 1. The Amway Board of Coaches is made up of 65 head coaches at Bowl Subdivision schools. All are members of the American Football Coaches Association. The board for the 2018 season: Blake Anderson, Arkansas State; Major Applewhite, Houston; Dino Babers, Syracuse; Mike Bloomgren, Rice; John Bonamego, Central Michigan; Terry Bowden, Akron; Jeff Brohm, Purdue; Neal Brown, Troy; Troy Calhoun, Air Force; Rod Carey, Northern Illinois; Bill Clark, Alabama-Birmingham; Dave Clawson, Wake Forest; Geoff Collins, Temple; David Cutcliffe, Duke; Mark Dantonio, Michigan State; Bob Davie, New Mexico; Butch Davis, Florida International; Dana Dimel, Texas-El Paso; DJ Durkin, Maryland; Herm Edwards, Arizona State; Luke Fickell, Cincinnati; Jimbo Fisher, Texas A&amp;M; P.J.<doc-sep>John Amis/Associated Press College football fans never stop talking about their favorite sport, even during the offseason. With the release of the Amway Coaches Poll Thursday, the discussion will get quite a few decibels louder. The first poll of the year is likely to look very familiar to college football insiders and enthusiasts because it would be quite surprising—perhaps shocking—if Alabama was not in the top spot followed by perennial contender Clemson. If Alabama is in the No. 1 team in the poll, it will be the fifth straight year that head coach Nick Saban sees his Crimson Tide in the top spot. The poll is scheduled to be released at noon ET. Sixty-five FBS head coaches take part in the voting, and those coaches are chosen conference by conference through a random draw conducted by the American Football Coaches Association, per Erick Smith of USA Today. While coaches have been conducting their own poll since 1950, this is the 28th year of the Amway Coaches Poll. Video Play Button Videos you might like The Crimson Tide finished as the No. 1 team in the nation after beating the Georgia Bulldogs in the College Football Playoff title game in January. Saban has a somewhat unsettled quarterback situation where Jalen Hurts and Tua Tagovailoa are battling for the starting position. Hurts has a 26-2 record and has led Alabama to consecutive national championship games while earning the 2016 SEC player of the year honors. Tagovailoa led Alabama to a comeback win against Georgia in the College Football Playoff championship and he has the stronger arm. Saban is an institution at Alabama, and he recently signed a contract extension that will keep him with the school through 2025. "Our family is thrilled to agree to a contract extension with the University of Alabama that will keep us in Tuscaloosa for the rest of our coaching career," Saban said, per Charlie Potter of BamaOnline247. While Saban is used to seeing his team at the top of the college football world and has done an exceptional job of contending for the national title on a consistent basis, Dabo Swinney has also built Clemson into a powerhouse of a program. The Tigers have one of the most exciting players in the nation in running back Travis Etienne, who should have an excellent chance of contending for the Heisman Trophy this season if he can stay healthy. Etienne ran for 766 yards and 13 touchdowns as a freshman last season while averaging 7.2 yards per carry. In addition to Etienne, Dexter Lawrence and Christian Wilkins should be able to cause havoc on the defensive line. Lawrence had 33 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss and 2.0 sacks last year, while Wilkins recorded 60 tackles, 9.0 TFL and 5.0 sacks. Swinney recently explained his coaching philosophy. "You know, the program is what I've always been focused on, not just having a good team," Swinney said, per Zach Lentz of The Times and Democrat. "From Day One, we've always been program oriented, with the goal being developing a consistent winner, to one day be a team that year in and year out you just know you've got a chance." The Georgia Bulldogs look like a formidable team once again, as Kirby Smart had a brilliant recruiting class and a sensational quarterback in Jake Fromm. The 6'2", 225-pound sophomore completed 62.2 percent of his passes and had a 24-7 TD-interception ratio a year ago. Ohio State is regularly at the top of the Big Ten standings and also represents that conference's best chance to get into the College Football Playoff. There's no reason to think that won't be the case again in 2018. Head coach Urban Meyer has a brilliant running back J.K. Dobbins while hard-charging Nick Bosa has an opportunity to dominate on defense. Dobbins ran for 1,403 yards as a freshman with seven touchdowns and a 7.2 yards per carry. The 6'4", 270-pound Bosa is coming off a monster season in which he had 34 tackles, 16 TFL and 8.5 sacks along with two passes batted down and one forced fumble. If Ohio State is going to represent the Big Ten, it is going to have to beat out a battle-tested Wisconsin team. Head coach Paul Chryst will be depending on quarterback Alex Hornibrook and running back Jonathan Taylor to carry the offense. The Badgers fell short in the Big Ten title game last year, but they could have more to offer this year. Other solid teams that could crack the Top 10 include Oklahoma, Washington, Auburn, Miami and Notre Dame. All stats courtesy of College Football Reference.<doc-sep>
Not making the cut for the preseason Amway Coaches Poll is essentially a fatal blow to a team’s hopes of reaching the College Football Playoff. Not since the early 1980s has a team opened the season unranked and gone on to win the national championship: Clemson did so in 1981, Miami (Fla.) in 1983 and Brigham Young in 1984. For teams without a realistic chance at making the playoff, however, simply earning preseason Top 25 recognition is a benchmark worthy of celebration. Several teams just on the outside of the initial Coaches Poll, which debuted Thursday, had a strong case for making the cut ahead of a few rivals with flimsier credentials. Here are the five biggest snubs: Florida Atlantic Lane Kiffin and the Owls carry a 10-game win streak into 2018, the second-longest in the Football Bowl Subdivision behind No. 23 Central Florida. A matchup with the Knights on Sept. 21 and a date at No. 5 Oklahoma in the opener probably contributed to the idea that FAU will struggle to match last year’s finish. But this is the best team in Conference USA by a wide margin and a team likely even more comfortable with Kiffin’s system heading into his second season. TIDE RISING:Alabama in familiar spot at No. 1 in the preseason poll TOP 25:Outlooks for the teams in the preseason Amway Coaches Poll South Carolina The Gamecocks, not No. 24 LSU, deserved to be the fifth team from the SEC in the Top 25. Unlike the Tigers, South Carolina has an all-conference quarterback, a solid if unspectacular head coach and a schedule friendly enough to draw several key games – No. 4 Georgia, Texas A&M and Tennessee – at home. This was a nine-win team a year ago with the ability to match that total and finish a clear second in the East. Northwestern There’s no rationale for not including Northwestern in the debut poll. Ten wins last season. A final ranking of 17th in the Coaches Poll. If healthy, one of the nation’s top quarterback prospects in Clayton Thorson. One of the nation’s most consistent coaching staffs, headlined by Pat Fitzgerald. The Wildcats’ case is stronger than that of LSU, No. 21 Texas and even No. 19 Florida State, though the Seminoles have the talent and newfound energy to warrant a preseason ranking. If the Big Ten Conference is the best league in the FBS – and it looks like it is – Northwestern deserves a spot on the back end of the Top 25. Kansas State What may be Bill Snyder’s final turn as Kansas State’s head coach finds the Wildcats in familiar position in the Big 12 Conference. The league has identified its favorites in Oklahoma, No. 16 TCU, No. 20 West Virginia, Texas and No. 25 Oklahoma State. Look for Kansas State to finish ahead of at least two of those teams and perhaps three in making a run at the conference title and earning a spot in the Top 25. There are some experienced hands to replace on defense, but the returning talent on offense and Snyder’s steady hand paint the Wildcats as one of the most overlooked teams in the FBS. Oregon Utah is another Pac-12 Conference team with a case to be made for the Top 25, though coaches and media alike are waiting to see if the Utes’ young core is ready to make a charge at No. 15 Southern California in the South Division. A better option for the preseason poll is Oregon, which is one team with quarterback Justin Herbert and another when the junior is sidelined. A year ago, for example, the Ducks went 6-2 with Hebert and 1-4 without. If he’s healthy, Oregon is a threat to finish second in the North Division.