AP preseason poll: Clemson No. 1, UH opponent Washington No. 13
The Associated Press preseason college football poll, was released Monday. This is the first time Clemson, which won the national championship game last season and two of the last three title games, is ranked No. 1 in the preseason poll.
Washington, the University of Hawaii’s opponent in Seattle on Sept. 14, checked in at No. 13 overall, and No. 14 in my poll.
The season opens Saturday with two Week Zero games: Arizona at Hawaii and Florida at Miami.
The Wildcats and Warriors are both going to put up a lot of points in this one. UH’s defense will be better this year than it was in 2018, but I don’t see it with enough to contain both quarterback Khalil Tate and running back J.J. Taylor. Cole McDonald will pass for four TDs and run for another, but the final will be something like Arizona 42, Hawaii 38 in the Dick Tomey Memorial Bowl.
I have Florida at No. 5, higher than most of the other AP voters do. Even though Jimmy Johnson is helping the Miami coaching staff, the Gators won’t need consulting from Steve Spurrier to win this one in Orlando. Miami’s defense is supposed to be great, but Florida’s defense under second-year coordinator Todd Grantham is also expected to be special again, like it was in 2018 (and usually is). I’m not saying the Hurricanes will score zero in Week Zero, and maybe Miami will manage more than just the three-run homer it got in that 35-3 loss in the Pinstripe Bowl at Yankee Stadium to Wisconsin last December. But the ‘Canes won’t get much more. Florida 24, Miami 13.
The complete poll:
1. Clemson (52 first-place votes)
2. Alabama (10)
3. Georgia
4. Oklahoma
5. Ohio State
6. LSU
7. Michigan
8. Florida
9. Notre Dame
10. Texas
11. Oregon
12. Texas A&M
13. Washington
14. Utah
15. Penn State
16. Auburn
17. UCF
18. Michigan State
19. Wisconsin
20. Iowa
21. Iowa State
22. Syracuse
23. Washington State
24. Nebraska
25. Stanford
Here’s the ballot I submitted:
1. Clemson
2. Georgia
3. Alabama
4. Oklahoma
5. Florida
6. Ohio State
7. Texas A&M
8. LSU
9. Michigan
10. Oregon
11. Texas
12. Notre Dame
13. Michigan State
14. Washington
15. Auburn
16. Iowa
17. Utah
18. Wisconsin
19. TCU
20. South Carolina
21. Penn State
22. Syracuse
23. Northwestern
24. Washington State
25. Virginia
Some big differences in your Top 25 v national ranking. You have four teams, TCU, South Carolina, Northwestern and Virginia that don’t show up on the national poll. Interesting to see how the rankings are at the end of the season. As much as I like Nick Saban, I don’t think Alabama will reclaim No. 1.
For what it’s worth (based on what we know in the pre-season), your poll is better than the AP one.
Thanks. No one really knows in the preseason anyway. It’s just to get the chatter going.
You are correct. No two polls are the same, especially in the preseason. If you want to see how all of us voted, go to collegepolltracker.com … it tracks all 62 AP voters all season long (for basketball, too, when that season starts). You can even vote if you like someone’s poll or not. I’m at -4 right now … some of that is probably Texas fans who don’t like that I put Texas A&M above the Longhorns.