.vresize.36.36.medium.0.png){kind=small}
.vresize.36.36.medium.0.png){kind=small}
See the Top 25 teams in the preseason college football coaches poll
The first official coaches poll of the 2016 college football season is here.
Here are the Top 25 teams in the Amway Coaches Poll unveiled on Thursday.
1. Alabama. The Tide won the national title last season -- Nick Saban's fourth -- and enter 2016 looking for a new starting quarterback for the third straight season.
2. Clemson. The Tigers finished runner-up to Alabama last season and have arguably the best player in America back in quarterback Deshaun Watson to make another run at a title.
3. Oklahoma. OU made the College Football Playoff last season in the first year with Baker Mayfield at QB and Lincoln Riley as offensive coordinator. Both are back in 2016.
4. Florida State. The Noles have running back Dalvin Cook and a ton of skill talent but will be looking for a new quarterback in camp.
5. Ohio State. After wading through a quarterback controversy all of last summer, there is no such thing in Columbus this year. J.T. Barrett is the guy, and the Buckeyes will try to return to the playoff.
6. LSU. Les Miles was nearly fired last season and enters 2016 with an incredible amount of talent but also the hottest seat in the country.
7. Stanford. Running back Christian McCaffrey became a sensation for the Cardinal last season and will take another crack at winning the Heisman and getting Stanford into the playoff this fall.
8. Michigan. It's Year 2 of Jim Harbaugh in Ann Arbor, and the Wolverines are a popular pick to win the Big Ten title.
9. Notre Dame. Brian Kelly has two capable quarterbacks to choose from in Deshone Kizer and Malik Zaire but also a difficult (as usual) schedule. It begins on Sept. 4 at Texas.
10. Tennessee. The Vols seem to be everyone's pick to break through and win the SEC East -- and possibly even the SEC title -- behind QB Joshua Dobbs, a stacked backfield and tons of talent on defense.
11. Michigan State. Quarterback Connor Cook is gone, but head coach Mark Dantonio is still there, which means the Spartans will have a say in the Big Ten race.
12. Ole Miss. The Rebels are on the short list of teams best positioned to win the SEC in 2016. They have QB Chad Kelly back and a chance to beat Alabama for the third straight year.
13. Houston. In Tom Herman's first season at UH, the Cougars went 13-1 and smacked Florida State in the Peach Bowl. Can they run the table and crash the playoff this year?
14. TCU. Behind OU, the Big 12 is wide open. Can Gary Patterson's squad emerge as the one to knock the Sooners off the top of the league?
15. Iowa. The Hawkeyes nearly ran the table last year, but lost to Michigan State in the Big Ten title game and then got crushed by Stanford in the Rose Bowl. Kirk Ferentz's team will try to prove 2015 wasn't a fluke.
16. Georgia. The Bulldogs have a first-year head coach and a true freshman in the running to start at quarterback, and yet they have a shot to make noise in the SEC East race.
17. USC. The Trojans are officially Clay Helton's team, as he takes over as full-time head coach. Week 1: Alabama. Good luck.
18. Washington. The Huskies are a trendy pick to knock Stanford off the top of the Pac-12 North. If Chris Petersen and his staff can quickly develop QB Jake Browning, it's possible.
19. Oklahoma State. The Pokes were undefeated entering November last season and then stumbled down the stretch. QB Mason Rudolph is back to help Mike Gundy take another crack at a conference crown.
20. North Carolina. UNC took a big step forward last year by making the ACC title game (where it lost to Clemson). It has experience on the offensive line and talent around the offense. It all comes down to the defense in Chapel Hill.
21. Baylor. Who knows how good the Bears will be in 2016? They have talent but also face extreme turmoil, as head coach Art Briles was fired over the summer and interim coach Jim Grobe is just there to keep the place from totally crumbling for another year.
22. Oregon. The Ducks have a dominant running back in Royce Freeman and plenty of skill talent. If they can settle the QB spot and new defensive coordinator Brady Hoke improves the D, then Oregon could rise much higher than this.
23. Louisville. It's Bobby Petrino's third year back at UL, and he has a squad talented enough to make a run at the ACC title, starting with quarterback Lamar Jackson. The Cards also have Houston on the schedule to help their potential postseason case.
24. UCLA. Sophomore QB Josh Rosen is a potential No. 1 pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, so the Bruins are starting from a good place to make a run at the Pac-12 title.
25. Florida. The Gators went 10-4 in Jim McElwain's first season in Gainesville, and they enter 2016 facing the same question: What will they get at quarterback? If Luke Del Rio stabilizes that spot, Florida can beat anyone in the SEC East.
