Page 16 - ARUBA TODAY AUG 16 2022

A16 sports
Tuesday 16 augusT 2022

No. 1 Alabama tops preseason AP Top 25; Ohio St, 'Dawgs next

By RALPH D. RUSSO seasons as coach of the Ti-
AP College Football Writer gers.
With two of the best players — Florida and Florida State
in the country leading the are both unranked to start
way — and a champion- the season, which has not
ship game loss as motiva- happened since 1974.
tion — Alabama is No. 1 in NEWBIES
The Associated Press pre- Five schools ranked in the
season college football poll preseason poll have head
for the second straight sea- coaches starting their first
son and ninth time overall. full seasons leading their
Heisman Trophy winner teams: Notre Dame (Mar-
Bryce Young, national de- cus Freeman), Oklahoma
fensive player of year Will (Brent Venables), No. 11
Anderson Jr. and the Crim- Oregon (Dan Lanning), No.
son Tide received 54 of 63 14 USC (Lincoln Riley) and
first-place votes and 1,566 No. 16 Miami (Mario Cris-
points in the Top 25 pre- tobal).
sented by Regions Bank re- This is the second time
leased on Monday. in the last five seasons
Ohio State is No. 2 with that five teams with new
six first-place votes (1,506 coaches were ranked in
points) from the media the preseason, according
panel and defending na- to research done by Spor-
tional champion Georgia tradar. It also happened in
is third with three first-place 2018, but before that sea-
votes (1,455 points). Clem- Alabama head coach Nick Saban leaves the field after their win against Ohio State in an NCAA son that type of represen-
son is No. 4. Notre Dame College Football Playoff national championship game in Miami Gardens, Fla., Tuesday, Jan. 12, tation in the preseason poll
rounds out the top five, set- 2021. Associated Press for teams with new coach-
ting up a tantalizing opener es was a rarity.
at Ohio State on Sept. 3. 33 1/2, 11 1/2 more than of last 14 seasons and in the ing its first preseason poll You have to go all the
The Tide's preseason No. 1 No. 2 on the list. preseason top three in 13 appearance since 1978. way back to 1990 when six
ranking is the seventh in 15 Ohio State brings back a straight. The Tide's 31st pre- — No. 22 Wake Forest schools with coaches en-
years under coach Nick Sa- Heisman Trophy finalist at season top-five ranking this made the preseason rank- tering their first full season
ban. quarterback in C.J. Stroud year matches Ohio State ings for the first time since appeared in the preseason
Since the preseason rank- while at Georgia, most of for the most in poll history. 2008. Top 25, according to Spor-
ings started in 1950, only the key players from one of Turning preseason No. 1 — Ohio State is ranked in tradar. That list includes
Oklahoma with 10 has the best college defenses into a national champi- the preseason for the 34th some notable names: Gary
been No. 1 in the initial poll of the last 25 years are now onship has proved tricky straight season, breaking Moeller, Michigan; Ken
more often than Alabama. in NFL. Still, quarterback throughout history, even for a tie with Nebraska (1970- Hatfield, Clemson; Gene
The Crimson Tide started Stetson Bennett and All- Alabama. 2002) and Penn State Stallings, Alabama; Jack
last season No. 1 and fin- America tight end Brock The Crimson Tide has gone (1968-2000) for the longest Crowe, Arkansas; Paul
ished ranked No. 2 after Bowers return to a Bulldogs on to win the national such streak in poll history. Hackett, Pittsburgh; and
losing the national champi- offense that could be even championship after starting — Texas A&M has the sec- John Jenkins, Houston.
onship game to the South- more explosive in 2022. No. 1 just once under Sa- ond-best preseason rank- CONFERENCE CALL
eastern Conference rival Texas A&M, which finished ban and twice overall. ing for a team that finished For the fourth straight sea-
Bulldogs.Alabama coach last season unranked de- Since the AP preseason the previous season un- son, the Southeastern Con-
Nick Saban recently called spite handing Alabama its began in 1950, there have ranked. Ohio State was No. ference has three teams in
2021 a rebuilding season only regular-season loss, been 11 preseason No. 1 3 in the 1972 preseason poll the top six.
for his Tide dynasty, which starts this season No. 6. teams that also finished the after being unranked at The Atlantic Coast Con-
has won six national titles Defending Pac-12 champi- season top ranked. Ala- the end of the 1971 season ference matched its best
over the last 13 years. He on Utah is seventh, the best bama was the last to do it and Notre Dame also start- showing in the preseason
has a point.Young was in preseason ranking in school (2017). ed No. 6 in 1983 after finish- poll with five teams. The
his first season as a starter history. Defending Big Ten RARITIES AND STREAKS ing unranked in 1982. ACC has reached that
last year, playing behind champion Michigan is No. — No. 13 North Carolina How did the seasons work number four previous times.
an inexperienced offen- 8 after making the playoff State is ranked in the pre- out of those teams? Ohio SEC - 6 (Nos. 1, 3, 6, 19, 20,
sive line. He was unfazed, for the first time last season. season for the first time State went 9-2 and finished 21).
throwing for 4,872 yards No. 9 Oklahoma is the high- since 2003. The Wolfpack the season No. 9. The Irish ACC - 5 (Nos. 4, 13, 16, 17,
and 47 touchdowns. est-ranked Big 12 school, matched their best pre- went 7-5 and unranked 22).
Anderson was a force on one spot ahead of defend- season ranking. They were again. Big Ten - 4 (Nos. 2, 8, 15, 18).
the other side ball as Ala- ing league champion Bay- also 13th in 1975. NOTABLE LEFTOUTS Big 12 - 3 (Nos. 9, 10, 12).
bama broke in a back sev- lor. — No. 17 Pitt is in the pre- — LSU with new coach Bri- Pac-12 - 3 (Nos. 7, 11, 14).
en with mostly new starters. POLL POINTS season rankings for the first an Kelly will start the season American - 2 (Nos. 23, 24).
The sophomore led the na- Alabama has been in the time since 2010. unranked for the first time Independents - 2 (Nos. 5,
tion in tackles for loss with preseason top five in each — No. 20 Kentucky is mak- 2000, Saban's first of five 25).q