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AP Top 25 poll: Alabama, Oklahoma lead first college football rankings of 2021 season

cigaretteman

HR King
May 29, 2001
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The defending national champion Alabama Crimson Tide enter the 2021 season in the same positioning in which they finished the 2020 season -- No. 1 in the AP Top 25. With the college football season beginning in less than two weeks, Alabama is clearly projected as the top team in the nation once again, receiving 47 of 62 first-place votes in the preseason college football rankings.
It should come as no surprise that national powers Oklahoma, Clemson, Ohio State and Georgia fill out the rest of the top five given their frequent appearances in the College Football Playoff. Texas A&M and Oregon, two teams with extremely high hopes heading into the season, chime in at the No. 8 and No. 11, respectively.
Here is a look at the entire AP Top 25. First-place votes are in parenthesis.

2021 Preseason AP Top 25​

1. Alabama (47)
2. Oklahoma (6)
3. Clemson (6)
4. Ohio State (1)
5. Georgia (3)
6. Texas A&M
7. Iowa State
8. Cincinnati
9. Notre Dame
10. North Carolina
11. Oregon
12. Wisconsin
13. Florida
14. Miami (FL)
15. USC
16. LSU
17. Indiana
18. Iowa
19. Penn State
20. Washington
21. Texas
22. Coastal Carolina
23. Louisiana
24. Utah
25. Arizona State


Others receiving votes: Oklahoma State (107); Ole Miss (106); TCU (40), Liberty (36), Auburn (32), NC State (14), Michigan (12), Northwestern (8), Boise State (7), Nevada (7), BYU (6), Ball State (6), Houston (5), Boston College (5), UCF (5), West Virginia (3), UAB (2), Army (2), UCLA (2)





AP Top 25 poll reactions: LSU underrated, Iowa State overrated in first college football rankings​



The preseason AP Top 25 poll was released on Monday as the 2021 college football season approaches, which immediately resulted in takes flying all over the internet. After all, unless you're No. 1 Alabama, voters clearly hate your team and are totally biased toward your team's rival. That's how talkin' season works.
There are some legitimate gripes, though. Let's break down the hits and misses of the initial AP Top 25 poll entering he 2021 season

Overrated: No. 7 Iowa State

There's no doubt that the Cyclones are one of the chic picks to make a run at the College Football Playoff after returning a medium-sized village of starters including star running back Breece Hall and quarterback Brock Purdy. Let's tap the brakes on that just a bit, though. While the 'Clones will be a tough out yet again this year thanks to experience and the coaching acumen of Matt Campbell, ranking them ahead of more talented teams like Notre Dame and Oregon is just a tad bit aggressive. I had Iowa State in my CBS Sports 130 ballot. Nothing against Iowa State as a program ... I just don't see it playing at the same level as the big boys in 2021.



 
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The first two games on the Iowa Hawkeye schedule:

Sept. 4......#17 Indiana
Sept 11......# 7 Iowa State

No cupcakes for the Hawkeyes as they open their
2021 season. Hope that Tyler Goodson is ready!!!
 
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