The writers voting in the AP pre-season poll agree with the coaches. Clemson is the #1 team in the country heading into the season. For the Tigers, it’s the first time the program will open the season ranked atop the AP poll, the same distinction they earned with the coaches’ poll earlier this month. Clemson received 52 of the 62 first place votes with the other 10 going to second ranked Alabama. Georgia, Oklahoma and Ohio State complete the top five. USC was listed among the schools outside the top 25 receiving votes.
AP Pre-Season Top 25
| RANK | SCHOOL | POINTS | PREVIOUS RANKING |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Clemson | 1540 | 1 |
| 2 | Alabama | 1496 | 2 |
| 3 | Georgia | 1403 | 7 |
| 4 | Oklahoma | 1331 | 4 |
| 5 | Ohio State | 1261 | 3 |
| 6 | LSU | 1199 | 6 |
| 7 | Michigan | 1164 | 14 |
| 8 | Florida | 1054 | 7 |
| 9 | Notre Dame | 1044 | 5 |
| 10 | Texas | 1005 | 9 |
| 11 | Oregon | 860 | NR |
| 12 | Texas A&M | 852 | 16 |
| 13 | Washington | 786 | 13 |
| 14 | Utah | 772 | NR |
| 15 | Penn State | 651 | 17 |
| 16 | Auburn | 578 | NR |
| 17 | UCF | 410 | 11 |
| 18 | Michigan State | 377 | NR |
| 19 | Wisconsin | 370 | NR |
| 20 | Iowa | 330 | 25 |
| 21 | Iowa State | 302 | NR |
| 22 | Syracuse | 209 | 15 |
| 23 | Washington State | 200 | 10 |
| 24 | Nebraska | 154 | NR |
| 25 | Stanford | 141 | NR |
Others receiving votes: Missouri 117, Army 94, Mississippi State 87, Miami (FL) 70, Northwestern 63, TCU 57, Virginia 44, Boise State 38, Cincinnati 16, South Carolina 15, Virginia Tech 12, Fresno State 8, Utah State 8, Minnesota 7, Memphis 6, Appalachian State 5, West Virginia 3, Oklahoma State 3, Arizona State 3, Arizona 1, USC 1.
