The Coaches Poll Top 25 rankings for the upcoming college football season were unveiled on Monday, with the Georgia Bulldogs securing the top position.
Georgia received 46 first-place votes, narrowly surpassing Ohio State, which is ranked second. The top five is completed by Oregon, Texas, and Alabama.
This marks the second year in a row that Georgia has started the season ranked No. 1. However, they did not finish last season in that position, as they were defeated by Alabama in the SEC championship, ultimately ending the year ranked third in the final coaches poll.
Georgia is accustomed to high expectations, having held a No. 1 ranking for four consecutive seasons.
As the Bulldogs commenced fall camp last week, their focus is on more pressing issues than their ranking in the polls. Coach Kirby Smart emphasized that the team does not dwell on rankings, stating, “I’ve never honestly paid any attention to it, and we don’t talk about it as a team.”
The initial Coaches Poll indicates a challenging schedule for Georgia this fall, featuring games against No. 14 Clemson, Alabama, Texas, No. 6 Ole Miss, and No. 14 Tennessee, with only the game against Tennessee being held in Athens.
Eight of the top 16 teams in the poll are from the SEC.
Georgia will kick off the 2024 season against Clemson on August 31. Smart acknowledged the tough competition ahead, saying, “What we do know is that we’ve got a really tough opening opponent and we’ve got a really tough schedule.
The Coaches Poll has released its Preseason Top 25 rankings for college football, with the Georgia Bulldogs taking the top spot for the second consecutive year.
Georgia received 46 first-place votes, placing them ahead of Ohio State, which is ranked second. The top five also includes Oregon, Texas, and Alabama.
This marks Georgia’s fourth straight season starting with a No. 1 ranking. Despite high expectations, Coach Kirby Smart emphasized that the team focuses more on their daily development rather than their ranking.
The SEC dominates the poll, with nine teams represented, while the Big Ten follows with six. Notably, Washington, which finished as the national runner-up last season, is unranked to start this year due to significant roster changes and a new head coach.
The full Coaches Poll Preseason Top 25 is as follows:
1. Georgia
2. Ohio State
3. Oregon
4. Texas
5. Alabama
6. Ole Miss
7. Notre Dame
8. Michigan
9. Penn State
10. Florida State
11. Missouri
12. LSU
13. Utah
14. Clemson
15. Tennessee
16. Oklahoma
17. Kansas State
18. Oklahoma State
19. Miami
20. Texas A&M
21. Arizona
22. North Carolina State
23. USC
24. Kansas
25. Iowa
The Associated Press Top 25 rankings will be revealed on August 12.
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