2021 Preseason USA TODAY Sports AFCA Coaches Poll Released
August 10, 2021
The preseason USA TODAY Sports AFCA Coaches Poll Top 25 with team’s records FROM LAST SEASON, total points based on 25 for first place through one point for 25th, ranking in last year’s final poll and first-place votes received.
USA TODAY Sports AFCA Coaches Top 25 Poll – August 10, 2021
Rank School (1st votes) Rec. Pts. Prev.
1 Alabama (63) 13-0 1621 1
2 Clemson 10-2 1508 3
3 Oklahoma (2) 9-2 1481 6
4 Ohio State 7-1 1435 2
5 Georgia 8-2 1386 7
6 Texas A&M 9-1 1286 4
7 Notre Dame 10-2 1139 5
8 Iowa State 9-3 1131 9
9 North Carolina 8-4 999 17
10 Cincinnati 9-1 979 8
11 Florida 8-4 870 12
12 Oregon 4-3 842 NR
13 LSU 5-5 664 NR
14 USC 5-1 655 21
15 Wisconsin 4-3 654 NR
16 Miami (Fla.) 8-3 575 22
17 Indiana 6-2 573 13
18 Iowa 6-2 554 15
19 Texas 7-3 427 20
20 Penn State 4-5 422 NR
21 Washington 3-1 404 NR
22 Oklahoma State 8-3 216 19
23 Louisiana 10-1 153 16
24 Coastal Carolina 11-1 150 14
25 Mississippi 5-5 149 NR
Dropped out: No. 10 Northwestern (7-2); No. 11 Brigham Young (11-1); No. 18 Liberty (10-1); No. 23 Ball State (7-1); No. 24 San Jose State (7-1); No. 25 Buffalo (6-1).
Others receiving votes: Utah (3-2) 145; Northwestern (7-2) 120; Arizona State (2-2) 90; Auburn (6-5) 84; Liberty (10-1) 68; Brigham Young (11-1) 53; TCU (6-4) 48; Michigan (2-4) 30; Central Florida (6-4) 29; Boise State (5-2) 27; North Carolina State (8-4) 27; Kentucky (5-6) 20; San Jose State (7-1) 18; Army (9-3) 13; Virginia Tech (5-6) 9; Missouri (5-5) 8; UCLA (3-4) 7; Boston College (6-5) 6; Pittsburgh (6-5) 6; Tulsa (6-3) 6; Ball State (7-1) 5; Houston (3-5) 5; Appalachian State (9-3) 4; SMU (7-3) 4; West Virginia (6-4) 4; Alabama-Birmingham (6-3) 3; Arkansas (3-7) 3; Air Force (3-3) 2; Mississippi State (4-7) 2; Nevada (7-2) 2; California (1-3) 1; Florida State (3-6) 1; Marshall (7-3) 1; Stanford (4-2) 1.
The USA TODAY Sports AFCA Board of Coaches is made up of 65 head coaches at Football Bowl Subdivision schools. All are members of the American Football Coaches Association.
The board for the 2021 season: Tom Allen, Indiana; Blake Anderson, Utah State; Dino Babers, Syracuse; Walt Bell, Massachusetts; Mike Bloomgren, Rice; Craig Bohl, Wyoming; Neal Brown, West Virginia; Troy Calhoun, Air Force; Matt Campbell, Iowa State; Jason Candle, Toledo; Jamey Chadwell, Coastal Carolina; Paul Chryst, Wisconsin; Geoff Collins, Georgia Tech; David Cutcliffe, Duke; Butch Davis, Florida International; Manny Diaz, Miami (Florida); Dave Doeren, North Carolina State; Karl Dorrell, Colorado; Eliah Drinkwitz, Missouri; Sonny Dykes, Southern Methodist; Luke Fickell, Cincinnati; Jedd Fisch, Arizona; Pat Fitzgerald, Northwestern; James Franklin, Penn State; Willie Fritz, Tulane; Danny Gonzales, New Mexico; Todd Graham, Hawaii; Mike Gundy, Oklahoma State; Will Hall, Southern Mississippi; Thomas Hammock, Northern Illinois; Bryan Harsin, Auburn; Clay Helton, Southern California; Tyson Helton, Western Kentucky; Brady Hoke, San Diego State; Skip Holtz, Louisiana Tech; Butch Jones, Arkansas State; Brian Kelly, Notre Dame; Jimmy Lake, Washington; Clark Lea, Vanderbilt; Tim Lester, Western Michigan; Sean Lewis, Kent State; Maurice Linguist, Buffalo; Seth Littrell, North Texas; Mike Locksley, Maryland; Chad Lunsford, Georgia Southern; Gus Malzahn, Central Florida; Chuck Martin, Miami (Ohio); Doug Martin, New Mexico State; Phillip Montgomery, Tulsa; Dan Mullen, Florida; Billy Napier, Louisiana-Lafayette; Pat Narduzzi, Pittsburgh; Ken Niumatalolo, Navy; Gary Patterson, TCU; Sam Pittman, Arkansas; NIck Rolovich, Washington State; Nick Saban, Alabama; Steve Sarkisian, Texas; Scott Satterfield, Louisville; Greg Schiano, Rutgers; Kirby Smart, Georgia; Jake Spavital, Texas State; Rick Stockstill, Middle Tennessee; Mel Tucker, Michigan State; Kyle Whittingham, Utah.
For more information about the AFCA, visit www.AFCA.com. For more interesting articles, check out The Insider and subscribe to our weekly email.
If you are interested in more in-depth articles and videos, please become an AFCA member. You can find out more information about membership and specific member benefits on the AFCA Membership Overview page. If you are ready to join, please fill out the AFCA Membership Application.
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The preseason USA TODAY Sports AFCA Coaches Poll Top 25 with team’s records FROM LAST SEASON, total points based on 25 for first place through one point for 25th, ranking in last year’s final poll and first-place votes received.
USA TODAY Sports AFCA Coaches Top 25 Poll – August 10, 2021
| Rank | School (1st votes) | Rec. | Pts. | Prev. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alabama (63) | 13-0 | 1621 | 1 |
| 2 | Clemson | 10-2 | 1508 | 3 |
| 3 | Oklahoma (2) | 9-2 | 1481 | 6 |
| 4 | Ohio State | 7-1 | 1435 | 2 |
| 5 | Georgia | 8-2 | 1386 | 7 |
| 6 | Texas A&M | 9-1 | 1286 | 4 |
| 7 | Notre Dame | 10-2 | 1139 | 5 |
| 8 | Iowa State | 9-3 | 1131 | 9 |
| 9 | North Carolina | 8-4 | 999 | 17 |
| 10 | Cincinnati | 9-1 | 979 | 8 |
| 11 | Florida | 8-4 | 870 | 12 |
| 12 | Oregon | 4-3 | 842 | NR |
| 13 | LSU | 5-5 | 664 | NR |
| 14 | USC | 5-1 | 655 | 21 |
| 15 | Wisconsin | 4-3 | 654 | NR |
| 16 | Miami (Fla.) | 8-3 | 575 | 22 |
| 17 | Indiana | 6-2 | 573 | 13 |
| 18 | Iowa | 6-2 | 554 | 15 |
| 19 | Texas | 7-3 | 427 | 20 |
| 20 | Penn State | 4-5 | 422 | NR |
| 21 | Washington | 3-1 | 404 | NR |
| 22 | Oklahoma State | 8-3 | 216 | 19 |
| 23 | Louisiana | 10-1 | 153 | 16 |
| 24 | Coastal Carolina | 11-1 | 150 | 14 |
| 25 | Mississippi | 5-5 | 149 | NR |
Dropped out: No. 10 Northwestern (7-2); No. 11 Brigham Young (11-1); No. 18 Liberty (10-1); No. 23 Ball State (7-1); No. 24 San Jose State (7-1); No. 25 Buffalo (6-1).
Others receiving votes: Utah (3-2) 145; Northwestern (7-2) 120; Arizona State (2-2) 90; Auburn (6-5) 84; Liberty (10-1) 68; Brigham Young (11-1) 53; TCU (6-4) 48; Michigan (2-4) 30; Central Florida (6-4) 29; Boise State (5-2) 27; North Carolina State (8-4) 27; Kentucky (5-6) 20; San Jose State (7-1) 18; Army (9-3) 13; Virginia Tech (5-6) 9; Missouri (5-5) 8; UCLA (3-4) 7; Boston College (6-5) 6; Pittsburgh (6-5) 6; Tulsa (6-3) 6; Ball State (7-1) 5; Houston (3-5) 5; Appalachian State (9-3) 4; SMU (7-3) 4; West Virginia (6-4) 4; Alabama-Birmingham (6-3) 3; Arkansas (3-7) 3; Air Force (3-3) 2; Mississippi State (4-7) 2; Nevada (7-2) 2; California (1-3) 1; Florida State (3-6) 1; Marshall (7-3) 1; Stanford (4-2) 1.
The USA TODAY Sports AFCA Board of Coaches is made up of 65 head coaches at Football Bowl Subdivision schools. All are members of the American Football Coaches Association.
The board for the 2021 season: Tom Allen, Indiana; Blake Anderson, Utah State; Dino Babers, Syracuse; Walt Bell, Massachusetts; Mike Bloomgren, Rice; Craig Bohl, Wyoming; Neal Brown, West Virginia; Troy Calhoun, Air Force; Matt Campbell, Iowa State; Jason Candle, Toledo; Jamey Chadwell, Coastal Carolina; Paul Chryst, Wisconsin; Geoff Collins, Georgia Tech; David Cutcliffe, Duke; Butch Davis, Florida International; Manny Diaz, Miami (Florida); Dave Doeren, North Carolina State; Karl Dorrell, Colorado; Eliah Drinkwitz, Missouri; Sonny Dykes, Southern Methodist; Luke Fickell, Cincinnati; Jedd Fisch, Arizona; Pat Fitzgerald, Northwestern; James Franklin, Penn State; Willie Fritz, Tulane; Danny Gonzales, New Mexico; Todd Graham, Hawaii; Mike Gundy, Oklahoma State; Will Hall, Southern Mississippi; Thomas Hammock, Northern Illinois; Bryan Harsin, Auburn; Clay Helton, Southern California; Tyson Helton, Western Kentucky; Brady Hoke, San Diego State; Skip Holtz, Louisiana Tech; Butch Jones, Arkansas State; Brian Kelly, Notre Dame; Jimmy Lake, Washington; Clark Lea, Vanderbilt; Tim Lester, Western Michigan; Sean Lewis, Kent State; Maurice Linguist, Buffalo; Seth Littrell, North Texas; Mike Locksley, Maryland; Chad Lunsford, Georgia Southern; Gus Malzahn, Central Florida; Chuck Martin, Miami (Ohio); Doug Martin, New Mexico State; Phillip Montgomery, Tulsa; Dan Mullen, Florida; Billy Napier, Louisiana-Lafayette; Pat Narduzzi, Pittsburgh; Ken Niumatalolo, Navy; Gary Patterson, TCU; Sam Pittman, Arkansas; NIck Rolovich, Washington State; Nick Saban, Alabama; Steve Sarkisian, Texas; Scott Satterfield, Louisville; Greg Schiano, Rutgers; Kirby Smart, Georgia; Jake Spavital, Texas State; Rick Stockstill, Middle Tennessee; Mel Tucker, Michigan State; Kyle Whittingham, Utah.
For more information about the AFCA, visit www.AFCA.com. For more interesting articles, check out The Insider and subscribe to our weekly email.
If you are interested in more in-depth articles and videos, please become an AFCA member. You can find out more information about membership and specific member benefits on the AFCA Membership Overview page. If you are ready to join, please fill out the AFCA Membership Application.
