Georgia football begins three-peat chase atop preseason USA TODAY Sports AFCA Coaches Poll
Georgia football will open the new season in the USA TODAY Sports AFCA Coaches Poll where it ended the 2022 season.
The two-time reigning national champion Bulldogs are the preseason No. 1 pick for the first time since the 2008 season. They were the overwhelming selection by the 66 coaches who vote in the poll released on Monday.
Georgia is followed by Michigan, Alabama, Ohio State and LSU in the top 5.
The Bulldogs garnered 61 first-place votes. Alabama received four and Ohio State one.
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Georgia is seeking to become the first team to accomplish a three-peat national championship in the modern era. Minnesota did it in 1934-36.
“We try to stay with what is important now,” wide receiver Arian Smith said. “We can't win a national championship right now. We’ve got to still practice and build the foundation for the season throughout fall camp to get to where we want to be."
Georgia football ranked No. 1 in USA TODAY Sports AFCA Coaches Poll
The Bulldogs return All-American tight end Brock Bowers and College Football Playoff championship game and Peach Bowl defensive MVP Javon Bullard in the secondary, but lost quarterback Stetson Bennett. Carson Beck is the leading contender to take over behind center.
Six SEC teams are ranked in the top 25 including No. 10 Tennessee, No. 22 Ole Miss and No. 25 Texas A&M.
The Bulldogs last preseason No. 1 team featured quarterback Matthew Stafford and running back Knowshon Moreno. That’s the only other time since USA TODAY took over the poll in 1991 that Georgia began No. 1.
The Bulldogs finished 10-3 and No. 10 in the final ranking that season.
Under coach Kirby Smart, Georgia has now started each of the last six seasons in the preseason top five in the USA TODAY Sports poll at No. 4 in 2018, No. 3 in 2019, No. 4 in 2020, No. 5 in 2021, No. 3 in 2022 and No. 1 this season.
Smart is one of 66 coaches on the voting panel.
The Associated Press preseason poll, voted on by the media, will be released on Monday Aug. 14.
USA TODAY Sports AFCA preseason college football coaches poll
The preseason USA TODAY Sports AFCA Coaches Poll Top 25 with team's records FROM LAST SEASON in parentheses, total points based on 25 for first place through one point for 25th, ranking in last year’s final poll and first-place votes received.
Rank | School (record) | Points | Last year’s final rank | First-place votes |
1 | Georgia (15-0) | 1,643 | 1 | 61 |
2 | Michigan (13-1) | 1,510 | 3 | 0 |
3 | Alabama (11-2) | 1,489 | 5 | 4 |
4 | Ohio State (11-2) | 1,485 | 4 | 1 |
5 | LSU (10-4) | 1,294 | 15 | 0 |
6 | Southern California (11-3) | 1,228 | 13 | 0 |
7 | Penn State (11-2) | 1,181 | 7 | 0 |
8 | Florida State (10-3) | 1,145 | 10 | 0 |
9 | Clemson (11-3) | 1,078 | 12 | 0 |
10 | Tennessee (11-2) | 991 | 6 | 0 |
11 | Washington (11-2) | 941 | 8 | 0 |
12 | Texas (8-5) | 848 | 25 | 0 |
13 | Notre Dame (9-4) | 841 | 18 | 0 |
14 | Utah (10-4) | 839 | 11 | 0 |
15 | Oregon (10-3) | 820 | 16 | 0 |
16 | TCU (13-2) | 655 | 2 | 0 |
17 | Kansas State (10-4) | 440 | 14 | 0 |
18 | Oregon State (10-3) | 365 | 17 | 0 |
19 | Oklahoma (6-7) | 320 | NR | 0 |
20 | North Carolina (9-5) | 315 | NR | 0 |
21 | Wisconsin (7-6) | 309 | NR | 0 |
22 | Mississippi (8-5) | 303 | NR | 0 |
23 | Tulane (12-2) | 225 | 9 | 0 |
24 | Texas Tech (8-5) | 200 | NR | 0 |
25 | Texas A&M (5-7) | 196 | NR | 0 |
Dropped Out: No. 19 Mississippi State (9-4); No. 20 Troy (12-2); No. 21 UCLA (9-4); No. 22 Pittsburgh (9-4); No. 23 South Carolina (8-5); No. 24 Fresno State (10-4). Others Receiving Votes: Iowa (8-5) 169; South Carolina (8-5) 89; Florida (6-7) 63; Texas-San Antonio (11-3) 59; Pittsburgh (9-4) 52; UCLA (9-4) 42; Kentucky (7-6) 34; Baylor (6-7) 28; Troy (12-2) 25; Arkansas (7-6) 20; Fresno State (10-4) 19; North Carolina State (8-5) 19; Auburn (5-7) 18; Boise State (10-4) 18; Miami (Fla.) (5-7) 16; Minnesota (9-4) 16; Mississippi State (9-4) 13; Oklahoma State (7-6) 12; Missouri (6-7) 11; Maryland (8-5) 10; SMU (7-6) 8; South Alabama (10-3) 8; Illinois (8-5) 7; Air Force (10-3) 6; Wake Forest (8-5) 6; Toledo (9-5) 5; Washington State (7-6) 4; Houston (8-5) 3; Arizona (5-7) 2; Brigham Young (8-5) 2; Duke (9-4) 2; James Madison (8-3) 1; Kansas (6-7) 1; Memphis (7-6) 1.
The USA TODAY Sports AFCA Board of Coaches for the 2023 season: Tim Albin, Ohio; Blake Anderson, Utah State; Dino Babers, Syracuse; Tim Beck, Coastal Carolina; Terry Bowden, Louisiana-Monroe; Jeff Brohm, Louisville; Neal Brown, West Virginia; Kenni Burns, Kent State; Troy Calhoun, Air Force; Jason Candle, Toledo; Curt Cignetti, James Madison; Dave Clawson, Wake Forest; Sonny Cumbie, Louisiana Tech; Ryan Day, Ohio State; Kalen DeBoer, Washington; Jake Dickert, Washington State; Dana Dimel, Texas-El Paso; Stan Drayton, Temple; Eliah Drinkwitz, Missouri; Sonny Dykes, TCU; Mike Elko, Duke; Shawn Elliott, Georgia Southern; Jedd Fisch, Arizona; Jimbo Fisher, Texas A&M; James Franklin, Penn State; Marcus Freeman, Notre Dame; Hugh Freeze, Auburn; Willie Fritz, Tulane; Alex Golesh, South Florida; Danny Gonzales, New Mexico; Mike Gundy, Oklahoma State; Will Hall, Southern Mississippi; Tyson Helton, Western Kentucky; Tom Herman, Florida Atlantic; Brady Hoke, San Diego State; Dana Holgorsen; Houston; Butch Jones, Arkansas State; Brent Key, Georgia Tech; Rhett Lashlee, SMU; Lance Leipold, Kansas; Mike Locksley, Maryland; Mike MacIntyre, Florida International; Gus Malzahn, Central Florida; Chuck Martin, Miami (Ohio); Joey McGuire, Texas Tech; Jeff Monken, Army; Jim Mora, Connecticut; Billy Napier, Florida; Pat Narduzzi, Pittsburgh; Brian Newberry, Navy; Barry Odom, UNLV; Brent Pry, Virginia Tech; Matt Rhule, Nebraska; Nick Saban, Alabama; Scott Satterfield, Cincinnati; Kirby Smart, Georgia; Rick Stockstill, Middle Tennessee; Mark Stoops, Kentucky; Jon Sumrall, Troy; Lance Taylor, Western Michigan; Jeff Tedford, Fresno State; Jeff Traylor, Texas-San Antonio; Mel Tucker, Michigan State; Kyle Whittingham, Utah, Ken Wilson, Nevada; Kevin Wilson, Tulsa.
This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: Where is Georgia football in first USA TODAY Sports AFCA Coaches Poll?
