Defending national champion Alabama received 61 out of 65 possible first-place votes to take the top spot in the 2018 preseason Amway Coaches Poll.
Clemson sits at No. 2 after receiving three first-place votes. Ohio State, which received the other first-place vote, checks in at No. 3.
The Crimson Tide are coming off a 26-23 overtime victory over Georgia in the national championship game. The Bulldogs will open the year ranked fourth, while Oklahoma rounds out the top five.
MORE: Composite preseason top 25
UCF, the nation's lone undefeated team last season, enters at No. 23. South Carolina was the leading vote-getter outside of the top 25, followed by Florida and Oregon.
2018 Preseason Amway Coaches Poll
| Rank | Team | No. 1 votes | 2017 |
| No. 1 | Alabama | 61 | 13-1 |
| No. 2 | Clemson | 3 | 12-2 |
| No. 3 | Ohio State | 1 | 12-2 |
| No. 4 | Georgia | 0 | 13-2 |
| No. 5 | Oklahoma | 0 | 12-2 |
| No. 6 | Washington | 0 | 10-3 |
| No. 7 | Wisconsin | 0 | 13-1 |
| No. 8. | Miami (Fla.) | 0 | 10-3 |
| No. 9. | Penn State | 0 | 11-2 |
| No. 10 | Auburn | 0 | 10-4 |
| No. 11 | Notre Dame | 0 | 10-3 |
| No. 12 | Michigan State | 0 | 10-3 |
| No. 13 | Stanford | 0 | 9-5 |
| No. 14 | Michigan | 0 | 8-5 |
| No. 15 | USC | 0 | 11-3 |
| No. 16 | TCU | 0 | 11-3 |
| No. 17 | Virginia Tech | 0 | 9-4 |
| No. 18 | Mississippi State | 0 | 9-4 |
| No. 19 | Florida State | 0 | 7-6 |
| No. 20 | West Virginia | 0 | 7-6 |
| No. 21 | Texas | 0 | 7-6 |
| No. 22 | Boise State | 0 | 11-3 |
| No. 23 | UCF | 0 | 13-0 |
| No. 24 | LSU | 0 | 9-4 |
| No. 25 | Oklahoma State | 0 | 10-3 |