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In 25 days the Oklahoma Sooners will open their 2021 season with a trip to New Orleans to take on the Tulane Green Wave. Now that the first USA TODAY AFCA Coaches Poll is out for the preseason, it officially feels like football season is right around the corner.
The Sooners, one of the favorites to contend for the national championship in 2021 came in third in the initial Coaches Poll. With two first-place votes, the Oklahoma Sooners prevented the Alabama Crimson Tide from being the unanimous No. 1 heading into 2021.
The defending national champions will turn over the quarterback position as Mac Jones gets ready for the NFL season with the New England Patriots. The Crimson Tide are joined by Clemson and Ohio State as teams at the top who are replacing their signal-callers from a year ago.
In a year of strife for the Big 12, the soon-to-be ex-member carries the flag for the conference. Iowa State (8), Texas (19) and Oklahoma State (22) are the only other members of the Big 12 in the initial top 25 poll.
Full USA TODAY Sports AFCA Coaches Poll:
| Rank | Team | Points |
| 1 | Alabama | 1621 |
| 2 | Clemson | 1508 |
| 3 | Oklahoma | 1481 |
| 4 | Ohio State | 1435 |
| 5 | Georgia | 1386 |
| 6 | Texas A&M | 1286 |
| 7 | Notre Dame | 1139 |
| 8 | Iowa State | 1131 |
| 9 | North Carolina | 999 |
| 10 | Cincinnati | 979 |
| 11 | Florida | 870 |
| 12 | Oregon | 842 |
| 13 | Louisiana State | 664 |
| 14 | Southern California | 655 |
| 15 | Wisconsin | 654 |
| 16 | Miami (Fl) | 575 |
| 17 | Indiana | 573 |
| 18 | Iowa | 554 |
| 19 | Texas | 427 |
| 20 | Penn State | 422 |
| 21 | Washington | 404 |
| 22 | Oklahoma State | 216 |
| 23 | UL Lafayette | 153 |
| 24 | Coastal Carolina | 150 |
| 25 | Mississippi | 149 |
Others receiving votes:
Utah 145; Northwestern 120; Arizona State 90; Auburn 84; Liberty 68; Brigham Young 53; Texas Christian 48; Michigan 30; Central Florida 29; NC State 27; Boise State 27; Kentucky 20; San Jose State 18; Army 13; Virginia Tech 9; Missouri 8; UCLA 7; Tulsa 6; Pittsburgh 6; Boston College 6; Houston 5; Ball State 5; West Virginia 4; Southern Methodist 4; Appalachian State 4; UAB 3; Arkansas 3; Nevada 2; Mississippi State 2; Air Force 2; Stanford 1; Marshall 1; Florida State 1; California 1.