Georgia leads Ohio State and Oregon in preseason coaches poll

Georgia is the top team in the coaches poll ahead of the 2024 season.

The annual USA Today top 25 was released on Monday and the Bulldogs got 46 of a possible 55 first-place votes ahead of Ohio State, Oregon, Texas and Alabama.

The Buckeyes were the clear second-place team in the poll and got seven first-place votes. The other two first-place votes went to the Longhorns and Michigan, the defending national champions.

Georgia went undefeated during the regular season in 2023 before losing to Alabama in the SEC championship game. That loss dropped the Bulldogs out of the College Football Playoff and they annihilated Florida State in the Orange Bowl to end the season.

The Bulldogs bring back QB Carson Beck after his fantastic first season as a starter. He’s a preseason Heisman favorite and the defense will likely be phenomenal once again.

Georgia does have a very tough schedule, however. The Bulldogs have road games against three teams in the top 10 of the coaches poll. UGA visits Alabama on Sept. 28, Texas on Oct. 19 and No. 6 Ole Miss on Nov. 9. Georgia also opens the season against No. 14 Clemson.

After Ole Miss, the top 10 is rounded out by Notre Dame, Michigan, Penn State and Florida State. Overall, the SEC has six of the top 12 teams in the coaches poll and has nine overall. Missouri is at No. 11 ahead of LSU, while Tennessee is at No. 15, Oklahoma is at No. 16 and Texas A&M is at No. 20.

Like the SEC, the expanded Big Ten has four teams in the top 10 but you have to go all the way down to USC at No. 23 for the next team from the conference.

Utah is the top Big 12 team in the poll at No. 13. The Big 12 has five teams in the top 25 while the ACC has four.

No team from outside the four power conferences (not counting Notre Dame) made the preseason top 25. Memphis was the Group of Five team that got the most votes and ranked fifth among the teams that didn’t make the poll.

2024 preseason coaches poll

1. Georgia

2. Ohio State

3. Oregon

4. Texas

5. Alabama

6. Ole Miss

7. Notre Dame

8. Michigan

9. Penn State

10. Florida State

11. Missouri

12. LSU

13. Utah

14. Clemson

15. Tennessee

16. Oklahoma

17. Kansas State

18. Oklahoma State

19. Miami

20. Texas A&M

21. Arizona

22. North Carolina State

23. USC

24. Kansas

25. Iowa