Since 2008 there has always been a point in the season in which Alabama has been ranked number one. The Coaches Poll was released August 2nd and Alabama received 61 out of 65 first place votes while three votes went to Clemson and one went to Ohio State. Alabama was not ranked in the preseason in the first two years of the Saban era. In 2008 Alabama received notes but was not placed on the coaches poll until the next week where they were ranked 17 in the Coaches Poll. The lowest ranking Alabama has received in the preseason coaches poll since being coached by Nick Saban is number five in 2009. After that ranking, Alabama has been ranked in the top three in the preseason Coaches Poll every year.
Alabama has high odds of repeating as national champions and this is a step in the right direction. Nick Saban is currently tied with Paul Bryant with six championships and Saban has brought Alabama back to football glory in the past 11 years as coach.
With 11 Alabama players on preseason award lists and 13 players on the preseason All-SEC team, Alabama is set for a dominant year.
