Alabama will begin its quest for a second consecutive national championship with a rare feat.
The Crimson Tide is just the second team to be ranked No. 1 in the preseason Associated Press Top 25 poll for three straight seasons. Alabama received 42 out of 61 first-place votes.
No. 2 Clemson received 18 first-place votes. Georgia is No. 3 and Wisconsin is fourth. The Badgers received one first-place vote. Ohio State was ranked fifth.
The preseason AP poll started in 1950 and since then only Oklahoma from 1985-87 had started No. 1 in three straight years until now.
The Southeastern Conference leads the way with six teams in the Top 25. The Big Ten is next with five teams while the Big 12 and ACC each had four.
The Huskies are ranked sixth, the highest for UW since 1997. They were number four that season.
