Georgia Tech will begin in the coaches poll for the first time since 2010. The Yellow Jackets were voted No. 17 in the preseason poll that was released Thursday.
Among ACC teams, Tech is third, behind Florida State at No. 8 and Clemson at No. 12. The next highest-ranked ACC team is Virginia Tech, which is fourth among teams also receiving votes outside the Top 25.
It’s the third time in coach Paul Johnson’s tenure that the Jackets have started in the preseason poll, following 2009 (No. 15) and 2010 (No. 17). Before that, the last time Tech had been in the preseason coaches poll was 2001, coach George O’Leary’s final season.
It’s also the lowest that the defending Orange Bowl champion has been ranked in the following preseason coaches poll since the opening poll of the 2006 season, when Penn State was No. 19. The Jackets finished last season No. 7 in the coaches poll.
Tech will play four of the teams in the poll — Florida State, No. 9 Georgia, No. 11 Notre Dame and Clemson.
Defending national champion Ohio State received 62 of 64 first-place votes, with No. 2 TCU and No. 3 Alabama receiving the others.
Johnson is a member of the voting panel for the second consecutive year after never having taken part in it previously.
Tech players report for the start of preseason camp Friday and begin practice Saturday morning.
1. Ohio State
2. TCU
3. Alabama
4. Baylor
5. Oregon
6. Michigan State
7. Auburn
8. Florida State
9. Georgia
10. USC
11. Notre Dame
12. Clemson
13. LSU
14. UCLA
15. Ole Miss
16. Arizona State
17. Georgia Tech
18. Wisconsin
19. Oklahoma
20. Arkansas
21. Stanford
22. Arizona
23. Missouri
24. Boise State
25. Tennessee
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