Alabama tops preseason Top 25; Buckeyes ranked fifth

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Alabama will begin its quest for a second consecutive national championship with a rare feat.

The Crimson Tide is just the second team to be ranked No. 1 in the preseason Associated Press Top 25 poll for three straight seasons. Alabama received 42 out of 61 first-place votes.

No. 2 Clemson received 18 first-place votes. Georgia is No. 3 and Wisconsin is fourth. The Badgers received one first-place vote. Ohio State was ranked fifth.

The preseason AP poll started in 1950 and since then only Oklahoma from 1985-87 had started No. 1 in three straight years until now.

The SEC leads the way with six teams in the Top 25. The Big Ten is next with five teams while the Big 12 and ACC each had four.

WISCONSIN PLAYER TAKES LEAVE, EXPECTS CHARGES » Wisconsin wide receiver Quintez Cephus says he is taking a leave of absence from the team because he believes prosecutors intend to file criminal charges against him for an incident in April involving what he calls a “consensual relationship.”

In a tweet late Saturday, Cephus didn’t specify what he is accused of but denied any wrongdoing and said he has been wrongfully accused.

“I am now forced to take a leave of absence from the team in order to focus all of my attention on clearing my name . ... I look forward to resuming both my academic and athletic careers in the near future,” the junior wrote.

Badgers coach Paul Chryst said he met with Cephus on Saturday but declined to comment further on his legal situation.

Madison Police Chief Mike Koval issued a statement Saturday confirming the department has investigated Cephus but provided no details of the allegations.

Cephus, is healthy again after breaking his right leg last November. He finished first on the team with six touchdown catches and second among its receivers with 30 receptions in nine games before he was injured. He played in 23 games the past two seasons, including 13 starts. MARYLAND TO WEAR HELMET STICKER TO HONOR MCNAIR » Members of the Maryland football team will wear a helmet sticker with No. 79 to honor former teammate Jordan McNair, who collapsed during a practice session in May and subsequently died.

In an announcement Monday morning, the school said no player will wear his number for the next three years.

In addition, a moment of silence will be held during Texas and Temple games and his locker will be encased.

McNair was running laps on the practice field on May 29 when he was overcome by heat and exhaustion. After being treated at the team facility, he was taken to a hospital and died of heatstroke on June 13.

The school has apologized to the family and acknowledged that mistakes were made in his treatment during the May 29 workout.

Coach DJ Durkin was placed on administrative leave on Aug. 11.

Basketball

FOUR JAPANESE PLAYERS KICKED OFF TEAM » Four Japanese basketball players were kicked off their Asian Games team and sent home Monday after delegation head Yasuhiro Yamashita said they “spent the night in a hotel with women.”

Yamashita told a news conference that the four players hooked up with the women after eating and drinking in an entertainment district and were easily identified by wearing Japan-emblazoned shirts.

The incident took place after Japan’s 82-71 win over Qatar in a groupstage game last Thursday.

Japanese Olympic officials said they learned of the incident after a newspaper published photographs of the players out on the town.

The JOC identified the four as Takuya Hashimoto, Keita Imamura, Yuya Nagayoshi, and Takuma Sato, and said the players had to pay for their own flights home from Jakarta.

The JOC described the players’ behavior as a “clear breach of the team’s conduct code, which specifies athletes are to be role models.”