Georgia Bulldogs and Ohio State are ranked 1st and 2nd respectively in the 2024 AP preseason and … (+)
They may not be called superconferences, at least not yet, but they certainly are in the polls. So it should come as no surprise that Oklahoma and Texas have joined the SEC and Oregon, USC and Washington are among the new members of the Big Ten that the two strongest conferences in the country occupy the top six spots in the recently released Top 25 polls.
The SEC/Big Ten also appear in 10 of the top 12 in the Coaches Poll and 10 of the top 13 in the AP Poll.
Notre Dame is ranked No. 7 in both polls and is the highest-ranked team outside of the SEC or Big Ten. Florida State is ranked No. 10 in both polls and is the highest-ranked team outside of the Super 2 conference.
Here are some more observations from the preseason poll before Florida State and Georgia Tech open the 2024 college football season on August 24 in Dublin.
Alabama
This is the 16thth Alabama is ranked 5/5 in the top five for consecutive years and has its lowest preseason ranking since 2009, when the Crimson Tide were also ranked 5th. The last time the Tide were outside the top five teams was 2008, when they began Nick Saban’s second season in Tuscaloosa ranked 24/NR. They went 12-2, finished the season ranked 6/6 and were on a roll.
Arizona
Thanks to Jedd Fisch’s outstanding performance in his first season in Tucson, the Wildcats begin their first season as a Big 12 member ranked 21/21. The last two times the Wildcats were in the preseason rankings, 2015 and 1999, they failed to finish the season ranked. The 2015 team under Rich Rodriguez started at No. 22 and went 7-6. At No. 4, the 1999 Wildcats achieved their highest preseason ranking ever, but managed just 6-6 under Dick Tomey.
Clemson
Dabo Swinney’s Tigers, at 14/14, have their lowest preseason ranking since 2015, when they were 12/12 before winning their first of two national titles in three years. Clemson was last in the top five for seven years (2016-2022).
Georgia
The Bulldogs, who lead both polls and won national titles in 2021 and 2022, have been in the top five of both preseason polls for seven consecutive years. They have been in the top 10 in 10 of the last 13 years since 2012 under Mark Richt.
Kansas
The No. 22/24 Jayhawks are preseason ranked for the first time since Mark Mangino’s final year in Lawrence (2009) and only the seventh time in program history. KU was first preseason ranked in 1952 as a member of the Big 7 and under Jules Skiles (No. 17).
Missouri
The 11/11 ranking marks Missouri’s first time in the preseason rankings since 2015, when they were ranked 24/23 prior to Gary Pinkel’s final season, a 5-7 season in which the Tigers lost six of their final seven games. This year is Mizzou’s highest preseason ranking since starting at 6/7 in 2008 as a member of the Big 12. The Tigers finished the season 10-4 and ranked 19/16.
Ohio State
This is the 36th.th Ohio State, No. 2/2, is in the preseason rankings for the 12th consecutive year, extending its national record. The Buckeyes also extend their record of 71 seasons in which they were ranked in the preseason, which is also the 12th.th Ohio State will start this year as a top-six team. They have been ranked either No. 1 or No. 2 six times during that span.
Oklahoma
Ranked 16/16 this year after starting last year at 20/19, the Sooners are outside the top 10 in consecutive years for the first time since Bob Stoops’ first two seasons in 1999/00. They were unranked in 1999 before emerging at 19/20 the following year. Incidentally, with their 66th In the preseason rankings, the Sooners are in second place behind Ohio State (71).
Ole Miss
Lane Kiffin’s fifth season at Oxford — five seasons already! — begins with the Rebels ranked 6/6 and their highest preseason ranking since the Archie Manning-led 1970 team was ranked 5th. Ole Miss went 7-4 that season and finished the season ranked 20th under John Vaught.
Utah
At No. 12/13, the Utes have the second-highest preseason ranking in team history behind 2022’s No. 7/8 rankings. This is the sixth consecutive year Utah has been ranked in the preseason after only appearing twice before. All eight preseason rankings have come this century, the first in 2004 under Urban Meyer when the school was in the Mountain West. With Meyer headed to Florida at the end of that season, Kyle Whittingham took over for a Fiesta Bowl win over Pitt, completing an undefeated season. He has been on the Utes’ sidelines ever since.
Boise State/Memphis
Neither team is ranked, and that’s the point. The Broncos are the best team in the Group of Five in the AP, earning 47 voting points for 28th overall. The Tigers received 44 points in the coaches’ poll, placing them 30thth and 14 points ahead of the No. 31 Broncos. The last time a G5 team was not in the preseason top 25 was 2014. UCF was the top team in the AP that year with 26 pointsth a total of 36 points behind No. 25 Washington. The Knights were 28th in the trainer survey.
