Parsing the AP Top 25: Things to know about the preseason college football rankings

The 90th season of The Associated Press Top 25 preseason college football rankings has been released, with 69 voters participating this year. Notable facts include:

Five teams earned first-place votes: Ohio State (40), Oregon (14), Notre Dame (6), Indiana (8), and Miami (1).

The Southeastern Conference has nine ranked teams, while the Big Ten has eight. The Big 12 has four and the Atlantic Coast Conference has three, with the final spot going to Notre Dame, an independent school.

For the ninth consecutive year, No. 3 Georgia is in the top five. Texas has achieved this feat for the third year running.

Ten of the 12 College Football Playoff teams from the previous season are ranked, with James Madison and Tulane being the exceptions. Both, however, received votes.

Ohio State enters the season ranked No. 1 for the ninth time, having not been at the top since 2015. They now share second-most preseason No. 1 rankings with Alabama (10 each).

No. 2 Oregon's highest preseason ranking ever, following their occasional appearances at No. 3. Notre Dame has its highest ranking in 20 years, having been No. 2 in 2006.

The Big Ten has seen its top two teams in the preseason rankings three years in a row, from 1961 when Iowa and Ohio State were No. 1 and No. 2, respectively. This is the first time any conference has had the top two teams in consecutive years.

Eleven schools have started and finished No. 1 in the AP poll since its inception in 1950, with Alabama the last to do so in 2017.