2021 AP preseason poll - Chasing Tide: Alabama is No. 1 in preseason AP Top 25 again

For the 131th week in school history, reigning national champion Alabama is No. 1 in the AP poll, which leads all FBS programs

Alabama 131

Ohio State 105

Oklahoma 101

Notre Dame 98
USC 91


Under head coach Nick Saban, Alabama has been ranked in the Top 25 of the AP Poll for 212 consecutive weeks, breaking the long since passed program record of 71 straight appearances under former coach Gene Stallings during the mid-1990s.

Since 2008, according to College Football Archive, the Crimson Tide has spent time as a team ranked in the top ten 96.2 percent of the time. Ohio State has the second-best mark during the same stretch with 76.4 percent.

Alabama has also been ranked in the top five of the AP Poll over 85 percent of the time in its run of 12-plus seasons near the top of the sport.

Its number one national ranking has been a constant, too, with the Nick Saban-led Tide atop the AP Poll at some point of every season since 2008, his second season as head coach of Alabama. The 13-year count is the longest in the history of the poll era.

While at Alabama, Saban has coached the top-ranked team in 86 games, 65 more games than Clemson's Dabo Swinney who holds the second-highest mark among active head coaches. LINK

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The 13-year count is the longest in the history of the poll era.

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This year makes 14.