An atypical season will begin with an unsurprising, even predictable preseason Amway Coaches Poll.
Clemson leads in the poll released Thursday, followed by Ohio State and Alabama. Another two SEC teams, Georgia and LSU, come before Oklahoma. These six programs have combined for all but two spots in the past four College Football Playoff national semifinals.
This predictability will soon give way to Coaches Poll rankings that should accurately reflect college football's ongoing volatility.
Power Five conferences have adopted schedules aimed at creating flexibility and minimizing risk in the face of the coronavirus pandemic.