Alabama Sits Atop Coach's Preseason Poll

By Justin Worsley

The University of Alabama is starting the season off exactly where they left off last year, on top.

The Crimson Tide were given 55 of the 59 first-place votes. Ohio State received the other four votes and is ranked second.

Alabama, however, wasn't the only undefeated team last season. Boise State, who is ranked fifth, also finished 14-0 and finished the season off dethroning undefeated Texas Christian in the Fiesta Bowl. TCU is ranked seventh.

Texas, who lost to Alabama in the BCS Championship game, is ranked fourth. In third place is Florida, the reigning Sugar Bowl Champions.

Virginia Tech is in sixth place, and open their season off against Boise State. The rest of the top 10 include Oklahoma, Nebraska and Iowa.

Oregon, who will play this season without Heisman Trophy-contender Jeremiah Masoli, is ranked 11th. Rounding out the rest of the top 15 is Wisconsin, Miami, Penn State, and Pittsburgh.

LSU is the third SEC school ranked in the top 25, in 16th place followed by Georgia Tech, North Carolina, Arkansas and Florida State.

The final five are Georgia, Oregon State, Auburn, and in a two-way tie, Utah and West Virginia.

The coach's poll takes part in the BCS formula that is used to determine the national champion. The last time the top-ranked preseason team won the National Championship was in 2004, when USC crushed Oklahoma 55-19. The win however, was vacated by the NCAA due to violations. The sanctions also affect the Trojans now, who are unranked due to their two-year postseason ban.