Alabama ranked No. 1 in preseason AP Top 25

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

The Crimson Tide received 33 of the 61 first-place votes, more than double any other team in the poll. Clemson will go into the season ranked No. 2 after receiving 16 first-place votes. Oklahoma, Florida State and LSU are also in the top five.

Alabama will be led by a first-year quarterback for the third-straight season, with Jalen Hurts, Cooper Bateman and Blake Barnett battling for the job. The Crimson Tide will also be looking to replace their top-two rushers from last season.

Alabama remains strong on the defensive side of the ball, with linebackers Tim Williams and Ryan Anderson and nose guard Da’Ron Payne returning.

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• Alabama leads SI's 2016 preseason college football Top 25 rankings

Ohio State, Michigan, Stanford, Tennessee and Notre Dame round out the top 10.

Alabama is also the top-ranked team in the preseason Amway Coaches Poll.

Preseason Associated Press Top 25

1. Alabama
2. Clemson
3. Oklahoma
4. Florida State
5. LSU
6. Ohio State
7. Michigan
8. Stanford
9. Tennessee
10. Notre Dame
11. Ole Miss
12. Michigan State
13. TCU
14. Washington
15. Houston
16. UCLA
17. Iowa
18. Georgia
19. Louisville
20. USC
21. Oklahoma State
22. North Carolina
23. Baylor
24. Oregon
25. Florida

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