For the first time ever, The Associated Press has a unanimous selection for the number one team in its preseason College Football Poll.
The Ohio State Buckeyes topped the ranking with all 61 first-place votes. Even in 2013, when Alabama won back-to-back National Championships, the Tide only received 58 of 60 possible first-place votes.
The number-one selection is hardly a surprise, as Ohio State is returning a wealth of starters on offense and defense after going 12-1 en route to beating Alabama and Oregon for the first ever College Football Playoff National Championship. Additionally, early Vegas betting lines favor Ohio State by double-digits in each of their regular season games.
According to ESPN, the AP began keeping a poll for college football in 1936, but did not introduce the preseason rankings until 1950. In more than half a century, the highest percentage of votes any preseason number-one team received was 97 percent.
Following Ohio State in the top 10 was TCU (2), Alabama (3), Baylor (4), Michigan State (5), Auburn, (6), Oregon (7), USC (8), Georgia (9), and Florida State (10).
Among Ohio State's many returning starters are J.T. Barrett and Cardale Jones, who are currently engaged in the most watched quarterback competition this summer. While Barrett led the Buckeyes to a one-loss season as a freshman, replace Braxton Miller, Jones delivered wins in the Big Ten Championship, Sugar Bowl semifinal, and the national title game.
While Barrett and Jones vie for the starting position, Miller will transition to a role as a hybrid back/wide receiver, while not completely ruling out a return to QB.
