Alabama is No. 1 in USA Today’s preseason poll; Boise No. 5
TYSONS CORNER, Va. — Defending national champion Alabama is No. 1 atop the USA Today preseason coaches’ poll.
Boise State will begin the season ranked No. 5. The Broncos, like Alabama, finished last season 14-0. They beat TCU in the Fiesta Bowl.
The Crimson Tide got 55 of 59 possible first place votes. The other four went to Ohio State, which is No. 2 in the newspaper’s ranking.
Florida is third, followed by Texas, which lost to Alabama in the BCS title game in January.
Virginia Tech was sixth, followed by TCU, Oklahoma, Nebraska and Iowa to round out the top 10.
Nos. 11-15 are Oregon, Wisconsin, Miami, Penn State and Pittsburgh. They were followed by LSU, Georgia Tech, North Carolina, Arkansas and Florida State, which will be without Bobby Bowden as coach for the first time in 35 years.
Georgia is No. 21, Oregon State No. 22, Auburn No. 23 and Utah and West Virginia tied for No. 24.
The coaches’ poll is part of the BCS formula used to determine its national champion.
BC-FBC–T25-USA Today Preseason Top 25 Poll/372
USA Today Top 25 Poll
The USA Today Preseason Top 25 football coaches poll, with team’s 2009 records in parentheses, total points based on 25 points for first place through one point for 25th, ranking in the final poll of the 2009 season and first-place votes received:
| Record | Pts | Final | 2009 | |
| 1. Alabama (55) | 14-0 | 1,469 | 1 | |
| 2. Ohio State (4) | 11-2 | 1,392 | 5 | |
| 3. Florida | 13-1 | 1,245 | 3 | |
| 4. Texas | 13-1 | 1,240 | 2 | |
| 5. Boise State | 14-0 | 1,215 | 4 | |
| 6. Virginia Tech | 10-3 | 1,052 | 10 | |
| 7. TCU | 12-1 | 1,051 | 6 | |
| 8. Oklahoma | 8-5 | 1,035 | NR | |
| 9. Nebraska | 10-4 | 1,001 | 14 | |
| 10. Iowa | 11-2 | 952 | 7 | |
| 11. Oregon | 10-3 | 940 | 11 | |
| 12. Wisconsin | 10-3 | 778 | 16 | |
| 13. Miami (Fla.) | 9-4 | 728 | 19 | |
| 14. Penn State | 11-2 | 508 | 8 | |
| 15. Pittsburgh | 10-3 | 492 | 15 | |
| 16. LSU | 9-4 | 476 | 17 | |
| 17. Georgia Tech | 11-3 | 455 | 13 | |
| 18. North Carolina | 8-5 | 445 | NR | |
| 19. Arkansas | 8-5 | 438 | NR | |
| 20. Florida State | 7-6 | 374 | NR | |
| 21. Georgia | 8-5 | 312 | NR | |
| 22. Oregon State | 8-5 | 263 | NR | |
| 23. Auburn | 8-5 | 260 | NR | |
| 24 (tie). West Virginia | 9-4 | 169 | 22 | |
| 24 (tie). Utah | 10-3 | 169 | 18 |
Others receiving votes (with 2009 records): Cincinnati (12-1) 135; Houston (10-4) 76; Brigham Young (11-2) 66; Arizona (8-5) 65; Mississippi (9-4) 48; Clemson (9-5) 44; Stanford (8-5) 41; Connecticut (8-5) 40; Notre Dame (6-6) 38; South Carolina (7-6) 38; Washington (5-7) 26; Missouri (8-5) 23; Navy (10-4) 12; Oklahoma State (9-4) 11; Boston College (8-5) 10; Michigan State (6-7) 10; Arizona State (4-8) 6; California (8-5) 6; Texas Tech (9-4) 5; South Florida (8-5) 4; Texas A&M (6-7) 3; Northwestern (8-5) 2; Temple (9-4) 2; Central Michigan (12-2) 1; Mississippi State (5-7) 1; Nevada (8-5) 1; Northern Illinois (7-6) 1; Southern Methodist (8-5) 1.
