AP Top 25 Podcast: Preseason poll review; SEC preview

Posted August 20, 2021 7:00 am

By RALPH D. RUSSO

The preseason AP Top 25 college football is out and Alabama will pick up where it left off last season as No. 1 in the country.

On the latest episodes of the AP Top 25 College Football Podcast, Rece Davis of ESPN's 'œCollege GameDay'ť joins AP's Ralph Russo to review the preseason rankings and how he voted.

Plus, in a separate episode, Cole Cubelic of the SEC Network previews the Southeastern Conference and which teams can challenge the Crimson Tide.

Davis was among a handful of voters who picked Oklahoma as the No. 1 team in the country to start the season. He explains why the Sooners got the nod over Alabama, Clemson and Ohio State.

Ranking teams in the preseason is part science, part art and part gut feeling, Davis says. We review his ballot for spots where his opinion diverges from consensus.

The SEC has at least two national title contenders in Alabama and Georgia. Texas A&M is expected to have its best team under coach Jimbo Fisher as well.

Cubelic explains why this could be the year the Bulldogs break through.

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Follow Ralph D. Russo at https://twitter.com/ralphDrussoAP and listen at https://APpodcasts.com

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More AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/college-football and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25

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FILE - Oklahoma team members on the sideline celebrate with linebacker Brian Asamoah (24) after Asamoah tackled Florida wide receiver Rick Wells short of the end zone on a fourth-down play in the second half of the Cotton Bowl NCAA college football game in Arlington, Texas, in this Wednesday, Dec. 30, 2020, file photo. Oklahoma is No. 2 in The Associated Press Tlop 25 preseason college football poll released Monday, Aug. 16, 2021. (AP Photo/Michael Ainsworth, File) The Associated Press

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