On Sunday morning, the first AP poll of the 2016 season was released, and the Alabama Crimson Tide now has the biggest target on its back in all of college football, as it was named the preseason No. 1 team in the land. The news is as expected — whoever win the National Title the year before is more often than not given the No. 1 ranking for the preseason. However, statistically speaking, that usually results in being the worst possible thing in the world for teams to be named.
According to data compiled by CBS Sports, eight of the past nine preseason No. 1 teams failed to reach the College Football Playoff or play for the BCS title. Only Florida State in 2014 cracked through — but that was the season they got demolished by Oregon in the Rose Bowl semifinal. Five of the last eight preseason No. 1s finished ranked No. 7 or lower, though that hasn't happened yet in the playoff era.
The last team to earn the preseason No. 1 and win the National Title? That was USC in 2004 — a long 12 years ago. Now don't get me wrong — I'm not saying Alabama can't defend their title and win it all again. Just saying that it gets a lot more difficult for them to do so, at least historically speaking, given that they have been named No. 1.
[H/T CBS Sports/ESPN]
