Four MW teams receive votes in first USA Today coaches poll

Cody TuckerPublished: August 10, 2021

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - DECEMBER 19: Linebacker Isa'ako Togia (R) #40 of the San Jose State Spartans holds up the arm of defensive lineman Cade Hall #92 as he lifts up the the Mountain West Championship game defensive MVP trophy after the team defeated the Boise State Broncos 34-20 to win the Mountain West Football Championship at Sam Boyd Stadium on December 19, 2020 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

LARAMIE -- USA Today Sports AFCA football coaches poll released its initial Top 25 selections this week, and to the surprise of absolutely no one, the usual suspects lead the way.

Alabama sits in the No. 1 spot, receiving 63 of a possible 65 first-place votes.

Oklahoma snagged the other two selections and is ranked No. 3 heading into the season. Clemson sits at No. 2 in the nation. Ohio State (No. 4) and Georgia (No. 5) round out the top five.

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The Mountain West Conference is not represented in the first poll, but four teams did receive Top 25 votes: Boise State (27), San Jose State (18), Nevada (2) and Air Force (2).

The league's media in late July selected the Broncos to win the Mountain Division and Nevada to claim the crown in the West. Air Force was picked to finish third in the Mountain Division behind Wyoming.

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The 65 voters are head coaches at Football Bowl Subdivision programs. Wyoming's Craig Bohl is one of those, joined by five other Mountain West coaches: Blake Anderson (Utah State), Troy Calhoun (Air Force), Danny Gonzalez (New Mexico), Todd Graham (Hawaii) and Brady Hoke (San Diego State).

The Cowboys won't see any teams in the preseason Top 25 on the schedule this fall. Aside from the four league teams listed above, only Week-3 opponent, Ball State, received any votes last week (5).

Here's USA Today's Top 25:

1. Alabama

2. Clemson

3. Oklahoma

4. Ohio State

5. Georgia

6. Texas A&M

7. Notre Dame

8. Iowa State

9. North Carolina

10. Cincinnati

11. Florida

12. Oregon

13. LSU

14. USC

15. Wisconsin

16. Miami (Fla.)

17. Indiana

18. Iowa

19. Texas

20. Penn State

21. Washington

22. Oklahoma State

23. Louisiana-Lafayette

24. Coastal Carolina

25. Ole Miss

Others receiving votes: Utah, Northwestern, Arizona State, Auburn, Liberty, BYU, TCU, Michigan, Central Florida, North Carolina State, Boise State, Kentucky, San Jose State, Army, Virginia Tech, Missouri, UCLA, Tulsa, Pittsburgh, Boston College, Houston, Ball State, West Virginia, SMU, Appalachian State, UAB, Arkansas, Nevada, Mississippi State, Air Force, Stanford, Marshall, Florida State, Cal

Just The Facts: Size Doesn't Matter For Wyoming's War Memorial Stadium

Did you know it would take the populations of Gillette (32,857), Laramie (32,381), Rock Springs (23,319), Sheridan (17,844) and Wright (1,200) to create a sellout inside Michigan's famed 107,601-seat Big House, the largest college football stadium in the nation?

For those of you not familiar with the Cowboy State, those are Wyoming's third through sixth most inhabited cities, along with the small mining town in Campbell County.

- Just The Facts: Size Doesn't Matter For Wyoming's War Memorial Stadium

Source: Four MW teams receive votes in first USA Today coaches poll