Alabama preseason No. 1 again

Alabama will begin its quest for a second consecutive national championship with a rare three-peat.

The Crimson Tide are only the second team to be ranked No. 1 in the preseason Associated Press Top 25 poll three seasons in a row. Alabama received 42 of the 61 firstplace votes from a panel of sportswriters and broadcasters in balloting released Monday.

No. 2 Clemson received 18 first-place votes. Georgia is No. 3 and Wisconsin, which received one first-place vote, No. 4. Ohio State is No. 5 despite the uncertainty surrounding coach Urban Meyer’s job security in the wake of domestic-abuse allegations against one of his former assistants.

Among other teams of note, Penn State is No. 10, Michigan State No. 11, Notre Dame No. 12 and Michigan No. 14.

The preseason AP poll started in 1950. Since then, only Oklahoma (1985-87) had started No. 1 three consecutive years until now.

Ring up another milestone for Tide coach Nick Saban’s dynasty. Alabama has won five national titles since 2009 and now has been No. 1 to start the season five times under Saban. Last season was the first time his team started and finished the season No. 1.

The Tide enter this season with a question at quarterback, but there appear to be two good answers from which Saban has to choose. Tua Tagovailoa won the College Football Playoff championship game for Alabama with a second-half comeback and overtime touchdown pass, and Jalen Hurts has led the Tide to the national-title game in each of his two seasons as a starter.

Whoever is quarterback, Alabama’s offense should be potent, with running back Damien Harris working behind a powerful line anchored by tackle Jonah Williams.

The Tide’s always-tough defense will have all new starters in the secondary, but defensive end Raekwon Davis and linebackers Mack Wilson and Dylan Moses are primed to be Alabama’s next All-Americans.