Seventh in USA Today Preseason Poll

STANFORD, Calif. - USA Today tabbed Stanford seventh in its preseason football coaches poll released Thursday.

It is the highest preseason ranking for the Cardinal since being projected fourth in 2013. Stanford, picked by the media to win the 2016 Pac-12 title, was 21st in last year's preseason poll.

The reigning Pac-12 champions were third in USA Today's final poll of the 2015 season after defeating No. 6 Iowa in the Rose Bowl Game.

Alabama and Clemson held down the top two spots in this year's preseason poll, the same places they landed in the final 2015 rankings. Those two squads garnered all but two of the first-place votes from the panel of 64 FBS head coaches. Alabama topped 55 of the ballots while the Tigers received seven No. 1 nods. Fourth-ranked Florida State and No. 10 Tennessee received a first-place vote each.

Oklahoma, the defending Big 12 champion and a playoff semifinalist a year ago, opens at No. 3, while the fourth 2015 semifinalist, Michigan State, starts at No. 11.

The Cardinal is the highest of five ranked Pac-12 programs. Stanford will face five opponents in 2016 ranked in the preseason poll: No. 9 Notre Dame, No. 17 USC, No. 18 Washington, No. 22 Oregon and No. 24 UCLA.

Stanford opens its season Sept. 2 at home against Kansas State. FS1 will broadcast the game beginning at 6 p.m. PT.