To almost nobody's surprise, Alabama is ranked No. 1 in the first official AP poll of the 2022 college football season.

The Crimson Tide ended last season 13-2, making it all the way to the 2022 CFP National Championship game before falling to Georgia 33-18. While the Tide lost seven players to the 2022 NFL Draft, the team was still able to retain a lot of the talent that helped lead them to the championship game. This returning talent includes Bryce Young and Will Anderson, who were and still are regarded by many as the best offensive and defensive players respectively in college football currently.

As well as the returning players, Alabama has again used the transfer portal to their benefit this offseason, bringing in cornerback Eli Ricks from LSU, wide receiver Jermaine Burton from Georgia, running back Jahmyr Gibbs from Georgia Tech, offensive lineman Tyler Steen from Vanderbilt, and wide receiver Tyler Harrell from Louisville.

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Alabama was just the first of six SEC teams ranked on the AP poll, followed by the defending national champion Georgia Bulldogs at No. 3, Texas A&M at No. 6, Arkansas at No. 19, Kentucky at No. 20, and Ole Miss at No. 21. The SEC led the way with the most teams in the top 25, with the ACC following closely behind with five teams and the Big Ten coming in third with four teams.

The Tide received 54 of the 63 first-place votes, with the other nine being split between No. 2 Ohio State (six) and Georgia (three). This is Alabama's sixth time in the past ten seasons being ranked No.1 in the preseason AP poll.

Alabama begins its 2022 season at Bryant Denny Stadium on Saturday, September 3, 2022, against Utah State. The game will kick-off at 6:30 p.m. CT and will air on the SEC Network.

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