Alabama Crimson Tide Ranked No. 1
In AP Preseason College Football Poll
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| University of Alabama Crimson Tide head football coach Nick Saban Photo Credit: UA Athletics |
The University of Alabama is No. 1 team in college football in The Associated Press preseason Top 25 college football poll. The Crimson Tide is the first college football program in 12 years to capture the top spot in the prestigious national poll for two consecutive years. It should also be noted that Bama starts the 2017 season ranked in the top five of the AP preseason poll for the ninth straight year.
Now if you ask any Alabama football fan all (yes, all) will tell you that with the returning talent and the stable of new players recruited from the number one recruiting class in the nation, the Crimson Tide deserves the ranking. In fact, most believe UA will march through the season unscathed.
The Alabama Crimson Tide is the only Southeastern Conference team listed in the AP top 10, but the SEC still leads all conferences with the total number of teams in the Top 25 with six. Following the Alabama Crimson Tide at No. 1 is Auburn (12), LSU (13), Georgia (15), Florida (17) and Tennessee (25).
Here is a breakdown of the standings by conference:
SEC — 6
ACC — 5
Big 12 — 5
Big Ten — 4
Pac-12 — 4
American — 1
There is no doubt that head coach Nick Saban has brought the Crimson Tide back from the doldrums of previous seasons before arriving at the Capstone. Though Bama has not always won the SEC West, or SEC or a National Championship since Saban brought the tide rolling in again, it has always been in a position to do so.
To begin the 2017 college football season, Alabama received 52 of 61 first-place votes from media members who make up the voting delegation for the AP. Ohio State was No. 2, just edging out No. 3 Florida State. Folks hoping for that No. 1 vs No. 2 in the opening game in Atlanta, Georgia on September 2nd will still have to wait to see that phenomena. However, it will still be only the fourth opening game involving top five teams, and the first opener ever with the preseason top three.
Here is the Associated Press 2017 Preseason Top 25 College Football Teams:
(Record indicates finish of 2016 season)
| 1 |  |
Alabama (52)
SEC
Record: 14-1
|
PV Rank
2
Points
1,513 |
| 2 |  |
Ohio State (3)
Big Ten
Record: 11-2
|
6
1,414
|
| 3 |  |
Florida State (4)
ACC
Record: 10-3
|
8
1,396
|
| 4 |  |
USC (2)
Pac-12
Record: 10-3
|
3
1,325
|
| 5 |  |
Clemson
ACC
Record: 14-1
|
1
1,201
|
| 6 |  |
Penn State
Big Ten
Record: 11-3
|
7
1,196
|
| 7 |  |
Oklahoma
Big 12
Record: 11-2
|
5
1,170
|
| 8 |  |
Washington
Pac-12
Record: 12-2
|
4
1,150
|
| 9 |  |
Wisconsin
Big Ten
Record: 11-3
|
9
926
|
| 10 |  |
Oklahoma State
Big 12
Record: 10-3
|
11
889
|
| 11 |  |
Michigan
Big Ten
Record: 10-3
|
10
881
|
| 12 |  |
Auburn
SEC
Record: 8-5
|
24
880
|
| 13 |  |
LSU
SEC
Record: 8-4
|
13
784
|
| 14 |  |
Stanford
Pac-12
Record: 10-3
|
12
695
|
| 15 |  |
Georgia
SEC
Record: 8-5
|
-
690
|
| 16 |  |
Louisville
ACC
Record: 9-4
|
21
629
|
| 17 |  |
Florida
SEC
Record: 9-4
|
14
624
|
| 18 |  |
Miami (FL)
ACC
Record: 9-4
|
20
492
|
| 19 |  |
South Florida
The American
Record: 11-2
|
19
327
|
| 20 |  |
Kansas State
Big 12
Record: 9-4
|
-
317
|
| 21 |  |
Virginia Tech
ACC
Record: 10-4
|
16
240
|
| 22 |  |
West Virginia
Big 12
Record: 10-3
|
18
207
|
| 23 |  |
Texas
Big 12
Record: 5-7
|
-
173
|
| 24 |  |
Washington State
Pac-12
Record: 8-5
|
-
133
|
| 25 |  |
Tennessee
SEC
Record: 9-4
|
22
114
|
Others receiving votes: TCU 98, Utah 85, Notre Dame 65, Boise St. 37, NC State 26, Northwestern 25, Pittsburgh 23, Oregon 21, Houston 19, Colorado 18, UCLA 9, San Diego St. 9, BYU 5, Appalachian St. 4, Nebraska 4, Tulsa 4, Kentucky 3, Texas A&M 3, Michigan St. 1.
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Bama Soccer Moves To 2-0
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| Photo Credit: UA Athletics |
Alabama head coach West Hart said, "It was kind of the exact opposite of the first game against Jacksonville State where we found ourselves down a goal. Not the start we wanted, but I'm proud of our group not getting discouraged after giving up the early goal. We found a way to get back into the game. We scored two very nice goals, and I thought for the remainder of the first half we played well. In the second half, it was not the performance that we wanted, but we came away with the win over a very good opponent."
The 'Dogs outshot the Tide 13-12, but Bama earned six corner kicks to top the Bulldogs' five.
The Crimson Tide will return to the field this Thursday evening at 7 p.m. CT to take on the South Florida Bulls at the Alabama Soccer Complex.
