AP poll indicates hope is alive for first Oregon national title or Big Ten three-peat

The football poll of record since 1936, the AP released their preseason poll Monday morning.

Oregon begins the season ranked No. 7, while fellow Big Ten powers Penn State and Ohio State rank No. 2 and No. 3. SEC contenders Texas and Georgia place No. 1 and No. 5.

In all 10 teams from the SEC begin the season ranked in the Top 25. Besides the Big Three, Michigan, Illinois and Indiana made it from the B1G.

The poll matters because it shapes perception about the relative strength of teams and the strength of their schedules. In the revised College Football Playoff format, the top four teams as ranked by the playoff committee receive first-round byes, the top 12 make the playoffs, and teams ranked 5-8 host a first-round playoff game.

Rankings matter, because it's easier to finish high if you start higher. Top-ranked teams have a slightly higher margin of error. It takes them a loss or even two to fall out of the Top 12.

The playoff includes the five highest-ranked conference champions followed by the seven highest-ranked teams. Though the committee makes their own rankings, they're heavily influenced by the AP as a starting point.

At No. 7, the Ducks are solidly in the mix to host a first-round playoff game, and if chalk holds (it never does) they'd meet No. 10 Miami in Autzen Stadium in the first round, a game that has all kinds of plotlines.

While that's a juicy opportunity it falls to pieces if the Ducks stumble at Penn State on September 27 and Iowa on November 8. That scenario would give them a 10-2 record but no wins over currently-ranked teams. hovering dangerously close to the cut line.

The safest strategy is to just win them all and leave the lobbying and jockeying to someone else.