USATSI
The 2022 college football season is less than two weeks away, and now we know which title contender is heading into the season with the coveted #1 ranking. The Preseason AP Top 25 was released Monday, with Alabama starting the season as the top team in the country for the fifth time in the past seven years. The Crimson Tide boast Bryce Young, reigning Heisman Trophy winner, EDGE threat star Will Anderson Jr., and the motivation to return to the top of the college football world after beating in January’s national title fight Georgia have failed.
Ohio State finishes second after missing the College Football Playoffs last season. The Buckeyes are led by star quarterback CJ Stroud and wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba – perhaps the best wide receiver in the country. The biggest issue facing coach Ryan Day’s team is defense, though he bailed away Oklahoma State defense coordinator Jim Knowles to help fix the problems that plagued the team last season.
Defending champion Georgia, led by quarterback Stetson Bennett IV, starts the season at No. 3. The key question for the Bulldogs concerns their defense, which lost five players in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft. Coach Kirby Smart has turned the program into a recruiting force, but that will be tested this year after a total of 15 players lost to the next level. Clemson jumped from 14th in the last AP Top 25 of 2022 to 4th this season, while Notre Dame rounded out the top 5.
Here’s a look at the full top 25 (first place votes in parentheses):
Others receiving votes: Tennessee (180), Texas (164), Iowa (163), Penn State (160), LSU (55), Fresno State (32), Minnesota (31), UCF (27), Purdue (17), Mississippi State ( 15), Auburn (15), Florida (14), Kansas State (14), North Carolina (9), Boise State (5), Air Force (4), Appalachia State (4), South Carolina (2), UCLA ( 2), State of San Diego (2), State of Utah (2), Nebraska (1)