Alabama, Ohio State lead first coaches’ poll

Alabama was voted No. 1 in the preseason USA Today coaches’ poll released Aug. 8, with Ohio State second and defending national champion Georgia third.

The Associated Press preseason Top 25 will be released Aug. 15.

The Crimson Tide received 54 first-place votes from a panel of 66 major college football coaches. Alabama is coming off a loss in the College Football Playoff title game to Georgia.

The Buckeyes received five first-place votes and the Bulldogs got six. No. 18 Texas also received a first-place vote.

Clemson was No. 4 and Notre Dame was No. 5. Michigan, coming off its first CFP appearance, was sixth, followed by Texas A&M, Utah, Oklahoma and Baylor.

OKLAHOMA ASSISTANT

OUT » A day after Oklahoma assistant head football coach Cale Gundy announced his resignation, the school said that Gundy uttered a racially charged word multiple times during a film session last week.

Gundy, who had been with the program as an assistant since 1999, announced his resignation in a social media post late Aug. 7, and the school confirmed it with a statement shortly thereafter. Oklahoma sent out another statement on Aug. 8 giving more details about the incident.

“Coach Gundy resigned from the program because he knows what he did was wrong,” first-year Sooners coach Brent Venables said in the statement. “He chose to read aloud to his players, not once but multiple times, a racially charged word that is objectionable to everyone, and does not reflect the attitude and values of our university or our football program. This is not acceptable. Period.”

Gundy apologized in his post and explained his resignation. He said he noticed a player was distracted while he was supposed to be taking notes, so he picked up the athlete’s iPad and read aloud the words on the screen. He acknowledged that he said a word that he “should never — under any circumstance — have uttered,” and said he was “horrified” when he realized what he had done.

NFL FOOT TWEAK FOR WINSTON

» Saints projected starting quarterback Jameis Winston has a foot injury that coach Dennis Allen is describing as a “tweak.” Allen says Winston was rolling out during a passing drill on Aug. 8 when he began to feel pain in his foot.

NEW DEAL FOR RAVENS’ TUCKER » The Ravens have agreed to a fouryear contract extension with star kicker Justin Tucker. His previous deal was through 2023.

LIONS ROOKIE RETIRES »

Lions rookie offensive tackle Zein Obeid has retired, the fourth player to end his career with the team in two months. Lions coach Dan Campbell said that Kendall Lamm was signed to fill Obeid’s roster spot.

WNBA TAURASI OUT WITH QUAD

INJURY » Mercury guard Diana Taurasi will miss the remainder of the season with a quadriceps strain. Taurasi missed the last two games with the injury and the team now says the WNBA’s alltime leading scorer will not be available as the Mercury fight for a 10th straight playoff appearance.