Six SEC Teams in Top 25 AP Poll; Gators #17

As college football season approaches, the much-talked about and debated AP Preseason Poll is out.

Here’s who were voted in the top spots:

1.Alabama

2. Ohio State

3. Florida State

4. USC

5. Clemson

6. Penn State

7. Oklahoma

8. Washington

9. Wisconsin

10. Oklahoma State

11. Michigan

12. Auburn

13. LSU

14. Stanford

15. Georgia

16. Louisville

17. Florida

18. Miami (FL)

19. South Florida

20. Kansas State

21. Virginia Tech

22. West Virginia

23. Texas

24. Washington State

25. Tennessee

The 2017 Top 25 Poll ranks Alabama as No. 1 for the second consecutive year, unsurprisingly. The Tide is accompanied by six other Southeastern Conference teams in the rankings, more than any other conference.

No. 13 @LSUfootball

This is the 17th straight season LSU is ranked in the preseason AP poll, the longest active streak by an @SEC team. pic.twitter.com/r4zJN4Ctgo

— SEC Network (@SECNetwork) August 21, 2017

ESPN’s Chris Low joined Steve Russell on WRUF’s SportsScene yesterday to break down this year’s poll. Overall, Low said he didn’t have too many surprises from the poll.

Low attended the powerhouse Alabama’s practices and said the team looks mighty confident.

In recent years it has felt like it’s ‘Alabama then everybody else in the SEC’. Low thought that gap is still there but there are also unforeseeable circumstances in the long run that can work in favor of other teams.

If there was any team that was going to take down the Tide this year, Low thinks it’s No. 12 Auburn. He wasn’t putting his bets on the Tigers in their rivalry match up later in the season but he did think that they are best equipped and in the best circumstances to topple the giant.

Aside from the much-anticipated Florida State-Alabama opening match up, Florida-Michigan might be the most intriguing. The caliber and historical clout of the two teams gives the opener the potential to set the tone for both teams this season.

The Gators are ranked No. 17 in the poll, six spots behind No.11 Michigan. That doesn’t necessarily rule Florida out of a win, and Low was impressed with the team when he attended practice back in the spring.

Eight of the last 10 national champs have started the season in Top 5 of the AP preseason poll. FSU was 11th in '13 and Auburn 22nd in '10.

— Chris Low (@ClowESPN) August 21, 2017

Almost every year, at least one team that starts the season in the top ten ends un-ranked by the end. There are always the dark horses too, like Penn State last year. The  didn’t get a vote last year but went on to win the Big Ten championship last year.

The poll obviously isn’t the end-all-be-all but it does gives fans something to talk about as they await college football season (eleven more days, people).