Getty Image / Alika Jenner
The first Coaches Poll of the 2024 College Football season is out with just a few short weeks left until the season kicks off.
It should come as no surprise to anyone that Kirby Smart’s Georgia Bulldogs who have only lost one game in the past 976 days and only 2 games since the 2020 season are ranked #1. They are followed by the Ohio State Buckeyes, Oregon Ducks, Texas Longhorns, and Alabama Crimson Tide to round out the top 5.
Alabama’s top 5 ranking wouldn’t raise any eyebrows if it wasn’t for Nick Saban’s retirement and the arrival of new head coach Kalen DeBoer who left the Washington Huskies. There’s probably more uncertainty swirling Alabama under Kalen DeBoer than any blue chip program at this point. That said, it’s Kalen DeBoer’s former program that is noticeably absent from the Coaches Poll top 25.
- Georgia Bulldogs
- Ohio State Buckeyes
- Oregon Ducks
- Texas Longhorns
- Alabama Crimson Tide
- Ole Miss Rebels
- Notre Dame
- Michigan
- Penn State
- Florida State Seminoles
- Missouri
- LSU
- Utah
- Clemson
- Tennessee
- Oklahoma
- Kansas State
- Oklahoma State
- Miami Hurricanes
- Texas A&M
- Arizona
- NC State
- USC Trojans
- Kanasa
- Iowa
The Washington Huskies only lost one game in 2023, the National Championship against Michigan. They only lost two games during the 2022 season. But with the Huskies’ recent success and Kalen DeBoer ditching Washington for the University of Alabama, roughly 21 of 22 starters for Washington will be different from last year.
The Huskies are the ‘first team out’ in the first edition of the 2024 Coaches Poll and they received 123 votes. If they string together some wins it shouldn’t be long before they get ranked as some of the top 25 will certainly fall out of those slots.
Elsewhere in the first Coaches Poll of the year, I might be crazy but I don’t understand the hype train that is fueling a #12 ranking for LSU. They face USC in Week 1 this season after starting against FSU the past two years, so it will be immediately clear if LSU is legitimate this season or not. They’ve returned receivers Hilton and Lacy so the offense should be great but there are a lot of questions on the defensive side of the ball.