USA Today on Thursday released its annual preseason Amway Coaches Poll of the top 25 teams heading into the 2020 college football season.
Former University of Alabama player and assistant coach Dabo Swinney’s Clemson was ranked first in the poll, with Ohio State coming next.
The Crimson Tide was ranked No. 3, trailed by fellow SEC teams Georgia and LSU to round-out the top five.
Gus Malzahn’s Auburn team was ranked 11th.
This marks the Tide’s 11th consecutive year entering the season ranked as one of the top-three teams in the nation.
The poll utilizes a points system. Receiving 1,495 points, Bama was closer to No. 1 Clemson than fourth-place Georgia.
USA Today wrote, “The Crimson Tide and Nick Saban start the season with a playoff cloud looming over them. The Tide did not make final four for the first time since the championship system started in 2014. With several players lost to the NFL draft including QB Tua Tagovailoa, a lot of production will need to be replaced. But senior WR DeVonta Smith will be returning as well as OT Alex Leatherwood and LB Dylan Moses. The quarterback question looms with junior Mac Jones, who made four starts last year, and true freshman Bryce Young the top contenders for the starting spot.”
The Auburn Tigers received 898 points, coming in just ahead of No. 12 Wisconsin.
“The Tigers offense should be more consistent behind sophomore quarterback Bo Nix, who was key in wins against Oregon and Alabama but struggled in other games,” USA Today explained. “WR Seth Williams provides a big-play target. There is some rebuilding to be done. The Tigers return just seven starters overall and the heaviest losses are on defense. DL Big Kat Bryant and LB K.J. Britt are elite players at their position, but the overhaul on that side of the ball might take some time to find a rhythm in a grueling SEC division. That puts more pressure on Nix to carry the load early.”
The Southeastern Conference recently approved a 10-game, conference-only schedule for the 2020 football season, with the first game set to occur on September 26.
The SEC also approved a revised preseason practice schedule as a result.
Schools are now permitted to conduct up to 14 hours per week of strength and conditioning, meetings and walkthroughs from August 7-16. From August 17 until the opening game, schools are allowed 25 practices with a limit of 20 hours per week of practice time. A five-day acclimatization period is required, with two days in helmets only, two days in shells and the fifth day in full pads. Additionally, schools must provide student-athletes a minimum of two days off per week until the week before their first game of the season.
Sean Ross is the editor of Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @sean_yhn
