Coaches Poll top 25: Alabama leads the way in first college football rankings ahead of 2022 season

The Crimson Tide start at No. 1 in the preseason rankings after losing to Georgia in the national title game

By Barrett Sallee

& Shehan Jeyarajah

Aug 8, 2022 at 6:54 pm ET • 1 min read

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The 2022 college football season is right around the corner, which means it's preseason rankings time. The annual preseason Coaches Poll was released Monday with Alabama earning the honor to enter the season with another No. 1 ranking after it picked up the same position in the Preseason CBS Sports 131 last week. The Crimson Tide picked up 1,634 overall points while gaining 54 of 66 first-place votes.

Alabama enters the season with the reigning Heisman Trophy winner at quarterback in junior Bryce Young along with junior EDGE threat Will Anderson Jr. and a pedigree of success under legendary coach Nick Saban. Ohio State checks in at the No. 2 spot. Coach Ryan Day's team, led by Heisman Trophy contender C.J. Stroud at quarterback, earned five first-place votes and 1,564 overall points.

Defending national champion Georgia earned the No. 3 spot but eclipsed Ohio State with six first-place votes, while Clemson and Notre Dame rounded out the top five despite major coaching turnover.

Here's a look at the entire top 25, according to the 66 coaches who voted in the poll (first-place votes in parenthesis).