Cardale Jones (12) helped Ohio State win the first-ever 2015 CFP National Championship Game at AT&T Stadium. John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports
Defending champion Ohio State will open the season with the No. 1 ranking in the Amway Coaches Poll, receiving 62 of 64 first-place votes in the preseason picks released Thursday.
Second-ranked TCU and No .3 Alabama each claimed one first-place vote apiece.
TCU has its highest preseason ranking in program history and with quarterback Travone Boykin returning, the Horned Frogs are the favorites in what is expected to be a competitive Big 12. Baylor, which won the conference title in 2014, is ranked fourth. Oklahoma was the third team in the preseason poll at No. 19.
Competition is always fierce in the Southeastern Conference, which has eight ranked teams in the preseason poll, including five of seven teams in the SEC West Division.
Oregon, national runner-up to Ohio State in January, is ranked fifth and one of six Pac-12 teams in the top 25.
The last team to go wire-to-wire as the No. 1 team in the country was Southern California in 2004.
1. Ohio State (62) 2
2. TCU (1) 18
3. Alabama (1) 1
4. Baylor 14
5. Oregon 4
6. Michigan State 9
7. Auburn 5
8. Florida State 17
9. Georgia 3
10. USC 13
11. Notre Dame 16
12. Clemson 15
13. LSU 8
14. UCLA 7
15. Ole Miss 6
16. Arizona State 24
17. Georgia Tech 19
18. Wisconsin 25
19. Oklahoma 10
20. Arkansas 12
21. Stanford 11
22. Arizona 34
23. Missouri 23
24. Boise State 27
25. Tennessee 20
