Defending national champion Alabama is #1 atop the preseason coaches' poll. The Crimson Tide got 55 of 59 possible first place votes. The other four went to Ohio State, which is #2 in the newspaper's ranking. Florida is third, followed by Texas, which lost to Alabama in the BCS title game in January. Boise State rounds out the top five. Virginia Tech was sixth, followed by TCU, Oklahoma, Nebraska and Iowa to round out the top 10. Numbers 11-15 are Oregon, Wisconsin, Miami, Penn State and Pittsburgh. They were followed by LSU, Georgia Tech, North Carolina, Arkansas and Florida State, which will be without Bobby Bowden as coach for the first time in 35 years.
Georgia is #21, Oregon State #22, Auburn #23 and Utah and West Virginia tied for #24. The coaches' poll is part of the BCS formula used to determine its national champion.