Coach Nick Saban's Tide received 33 of 61 first-place votes from the media panel and 1,469 points. No. 2 Clemson received 16 first-place votes and 1,443 points. It's the first time since 1992 that Nos. 1 and 2 in the preseason rankings are the same as they were in the final poll of the previous season.
Oklahoma is No. 3 and has four first-place votes. No. 4 Florida State has five. No. 5 LSU, No. 6 Ohio State and No. 7 Michigan all received one first-place vote.
Louisville is ranked No. 19.
Alabama is the preseason No. 1 for the fifth time overall (2013, 2010, 1978, 1966).
The Top 25 teams in The Associated Press preseason college football poll, with first-place votes in parentheses, 2015 records, total points based on 25 points for a first-place vote through one point for a 25th-place vote, and 2015 final ranking:
| Record | Pts | Pv | |
| 1. Alabama (33) | 14-1 | 1,469 | 1 |
| 2. Clemson (16) | 14-1 | 1,443 | 2 |
| 3. Oklahoma (4) | 11-2 | 1,352 | 5 |
| 4. Florida St. (5) | 10-3 | 1,325 | 14 |
| 5. LSU (1) | 9-3 | 1,269 | 16 |
| 6. Ohio St. (1) | 12-1 | 1,224 | 4 |
| 7. Michigan (1) | 10-3 | 1,147 | 12 |
| 8. Stanford | 12-2 | 1,029 | 3 |
| 9. Tennessee | 9-4 | 1,021 | 22 |
| 10. Notre Dame | 10-3 | 1,006 | 11 |
| 11. Mississippi | 10-3 | 718 | 10 |
| 12. Michigan St. | 12-2 | 710 | 6 |
| 13. TCU | 11-2 | 707 | 11 |
| 14. Washington | 7-6 | 651 | NR |
| 15. Houston | 13-1 | 644 | 8 |
| 16. UCLA | 8-5 | 496 | NR |
| 17. Iowa | 12-2 | 484 | 9 |
| 18. Georgia | 10-3 | 448 | NR |
| 19. Louisville | 8-5 | 447 | NR |
| 20. Southern Cal | 8-6 | 344 | NR |
| 21. Oklahoma St. | 10-3 | 316 | 20 |
| 22. North Carolina | 11-3 | 283 | 15 |
| 23. Baylor | 10-3 | 280 | 13 |
| 24. Oregon | 9-4 | 218 | 19 |
| 25. Florida | 10-4 | 180 | 25 |
Others receiving votes: Miami 159, Texas A&M 81, Utah 74, Washington St. 68, Boise St. 49, San Diego St. 46, Wisconsin 42, Auburn 22, Pittsburgh 15, Arkansas 14, Texas 12, Nebraska 11, Navy 8, Northwestern 5, W. Kentucky 4, South Florida 2, Toledo 2.
