Buckeyes selected as unanimous number one team in preseason AP poll

For the first time in college football history, we’ll see one team enter the season as the Associated Press’ unanimously No. 1-ranked squad in the land.

The Buckeyes, who last season beat the Crimson Tide in the College Football Playoff semifinals, are an unanimous No. 1 as they received all 61 first-place votes from the media.

The Buckeyes are the first to be an unanimous No. 1 team since the preseason poll began in 1950.

This isn’t too surprising, as Ohio State is returning a lot of talented players from the team that won the first ever College Football Playoff. Ohio State opens the season as the top team for the first time since 2006.

TCU’s ranking bettered the Horned Frogs’ highest previous preseason ranking when they were sixth in 2010.

The other years the Hurricanes earned a preseason ranking, according to UM records: 1955, 1957-58, 1967-68 and 1982.

Penn State, Nebraska and Michigan also received votes in the poll. Only twice, Florida State in 1999 and Southern California in 2004, has the top-ranked team in the preseason poll gone wire-to-wire as No. 1.

The Seminoles are ranked anywhere from No. 8 to No. 12 in the major polls released in the last month.

“In four of the past seven seasons, the preseason No. 1 has finished in 10th place or worse”, ESPN reporter Heather Dinich said Sunday.

Texas Christian ranks second.

After Miller injured his shoulder prior to last season, Barrett started 12 games at quarterback before he fractured his ankle against Michigan.