Nick Saban's Alabama Crimson Tide find themselves in a familiar position as the college football season gets underwayright at thetop of the Associated PressTop 25 poll.The defending national champions may have suffered some key losses to the NFL and graduation, but the Crimson Tide are a powerful team that is capable of rolling once again this season.Alabama has won four national championships in nine years under Saban, and the Crimson Tide return their three leading receivers and six offensive starters overall.Calvin Ridley is a game-breaker who is capable of getting the best of any defense with his ability to make big plays. He caught 89 passes last year for 1,045 yards and seven touchdowns and represents a huge threat.Alabama had the edge in the initial poll over Clemson, and it would not be a shocker if the Tide and the Tigers played for the national championship at the end of the season.Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson is a legitimate Heisman Trophy front-runner, and the Tigers have the talent to pick up just where they left off in last year's 14-1 season.Alabama had 1,469 voting points in the initial AP poll, while Clemson was narrowly behind with 1,443 points. Alabama received 33 first-place votes to Clemson's 16.Those two teams ended last season as the top-ranked teams in the nation. This the first time that the teams that ended the previous year No. 1 and No. 2 begin the next season in the same position since Miami and Washington did it in 1992, according to ESPN.com.Oklahoma, Florida State, Louisiana State, Ohio State and Michigan follow the top two teams in the initial poll, and all of those teams received at least one first-place vote.If any team is going to get in the way of the top two, it appears that Oklahoma may have the best chance. The Sooners have a powerful and diverse offense led by quarterback Baker Mayfield and running back Samaje Perine. Mayfield came into his own last year, throwing for 3,700 yards, while Perine is a breakaway threat who gained 1,349 yards on the ground.Dalvin Cook may be Florida State's best player after he ran for 1,691 yards in 2015. The Seminoles have an explosive offense that could be the key to their success in 2016.According to the voters, Jim Harbaugh and Michigan have nearly caught up with archrival Ohio State. Urban Meyer and the Buckeyes are in sixth place in the initial poll with 1,224 points, while Michigan sits in seventh place with 1,147 points.Harbaugh's Wolverines made great strides in his first year as head coach, as the team recorded a 10-3 mark and finished with an impressive victory over Florida in the Citrus Bowl. Much of the optimism surrounding the Michigan program revolves around a veteran and powerful offensive line that includes four of last year's starters.While Stanford is eighth in the initial AP poll, the Cardinal look like they could be even better than that this season. They went 12-2 last season and dominated Iowa in the Rose Bowl. Stanford features Christian McCaffrey, and his battle with Clemson's Watson for the Heisman Trophy could go on throughout the season.Michigan State ranks 12th in the AP poll, but the Spartans may rise to Top 10 status as the season progresses. While they lost veteran quarterback Connor Cook to the NFL, Tyler O'Connor appears ready to step in and do an excellent job for a team with a 36-5 record in the last three seasons.Louisville could be a surprise team this year, as nine starters on offense return from a team that was rolling at the end of the 2015 season.Oregon could also make a big jump as the season wears on. The Ducks start the season as the No. 24 team in the nation, but they return 11 starters after closing last season with a six-game winning streak.
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