Ohio State ranked No. 1 in preseason AP Top 25

Defending national champion Ohio State is ranked No. 1 in the preseason Associated Press Top 25 poll released on Sunday.

Author:
SI Wire
Publish date:
Aug 23, 2015

Defending national champion Ohio State is ranked No. 1 in the preseason Associated Press Top 25 poll released on Sunday.

The Buckeyes received 61 first-place votes and are the first unanimous No. 1 team since the AP began releasing its preseason top 25. Ohio State also received 1,525 points and No. 2 TCU received 1,428.

Ohio State returns seven starters on both offense and defense, and will have two-time Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year Braxton Miller moving to H-Back/receiver from quarterback. Head coach Urban Meyer has said he will not announce the Buckeyes’ starter (either J.T. Barrett or Cardale Jones) before their Sept. 7 opener at Virginia Tech.

After Miller injured his shoulder prior to last season, Barrett started 12 games at quarterback before he fractured his ankle against Michigan. Jones took over and led Ohio State to three consecutive wins and the College Football Playoff championship.

• Ohio State, Auburn lead SI’s 2015 preseason college football Top 25

Behind Ohio State in the AP Top 25 released Sunday are TCU at No. 2, Alabama at No. 3, Baylor at No. 4 and Michigan State at No. 5.

Ohio State also led the preseason Amway Coaches Poll that was released on July 30.

This season’s College Football Playoff semifinals will take place at the Cotton Bowl in Arlington, Texas, and the Orange Bowl in Miami on Dec. 31. The Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl from the Georgia Dome in Atlanta will also take place on Dec. 31.

The Fiesta Bowl, Rose Bowl and Sugar Bowl will all be played on New Year’s Day.

The College Football Playoff final will be played at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Ariz., on Jan. 11.