The Alabama Crimson Tide starts its quest for the NCAA football championship ranked No. 1 after it received 58 of a possible 60 first place votes in the opening AP poll.
The Tide, which won its third title in four years with a demolition of Notre Dame in the BCS Championship in January, opens the defense of the crown Saturday, Aug. 31 with a game against Virginia Tech in Atlanta. Alabama is an 18-point favourite.
Undefeated last season, but ineligible for bowl consideration because of NCAA sanctions, the Ohio State Buckeyes picked up one of the other two first place votes.
Urban Meyer’s side would appear to have a significantly easier schedule than Alabama with only a trip to Cal and new head coach Sonny Dykes’ highflying offense to contend with.
Cal’s Pac-12 brethren Oregon and Stanford are ranked third and fourth and the two sides will meet in Palo Alto on a Thursday night in the first week of November.
Before then the Ducks will have to navigate a trip to Washington and the visit of the UCLA Bruins while the Cardinal also play the Huskies and Bruins along with Oregon State in the weeks before the potential showdown.
The remaining first place vote in the AP poll went to Georgia who round out the top five.
The Bulldogs face #8 Clemson and #6 South Carolina in back to back games to start the campaign and will do well to remain undefeated.
Texas A & M, which may or may not have Johnny Manziel under center, and Florida, at #7 and #10 respectively, make it five SEC schools in the top 10 as the conference’s domination over the past decade is reflected once more in the poll.
Following are odds for the top 25 favourites to win the NCAA football BCS championship in 2013-14 odds):
• Alabama +260
• Ohio State +700
• Oregon +800
• Texas A&M +1400
• LSU +1400
• Georgia +1800
• Stanford +1800
• Florida State +2200
• Clemson +2200
• Louisville +2200
• Florida +2500
• Michigan +2800
• Oklahoma +3300
• Nebraska +3300
• South Carolina +3300
• Texas +3300
• Miami (FL) +3500
• Oklahoma State +3500
• USC +4000
• Wisconsin +5000
• UCLA +5000
• Notre Dame +5000
• North Carolina +8000
• Michigan State +8000