Utes ranked 12th in AP preseason Top 25 poll; highest-ranked Big 12 team

The University of Utah is the highest-ranked Big 12 Conference team in the AP preseason Top 25 rankings, showing up at No. 12 in the poll released Monday.

After moving from the disintegrated Pac 12 Conference, Utah plays in its inaugural Big 12 season this year, opening at home against Southern Utah on Aug. 29.

Despite playing in the conference for the first time, Utah is clearly the cream of the crop of the Big 12, especially with quarterback Cam Rising returning for a seventh collegiate season.

Overall, the Big 12 placed five teams in the preseason rankings.

1. Georgia (46)
2. Ohio State (15)
3. Oregon (1)
4. Texas
5. Alabama
6. Ole Miss
7. Notre Dame
8. Penn State
9. Michigan
10. Florida State
11. Missouri
12. UTAH
13. LSU
14. Clemson
15. Tennessee
16. Oklahoma
17. Oklahoma State
18. Kansas State
19. Miami
20. Texas A&M
21. Arizona
22. Kansas
23. USC
24. NC State
25. Iowa

Other teams receiving votes:
Louisville 111, Virginia Tech 77, Boise St. 47, SMU 33, Iowa St. 33, Liberty 32, Washington 23, West Virginia 17, Memphis 16, Nebraska 16, Wisconsin 15, UTSA 6, Tulane 5, Appalachian St. 4, Kentucky 3, Auburn 2, Colorado 1.

First-place votes in parentheses

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