The Alabama football team is the top-ranked in the Preseason AP Poll with 54 first place votes. After winning the 2009 National Championship game, the Crimson Tide ended the season as the No. 1 team and kept its spot heading into the 2010 season.

This is the first time Alabama has held the preseason AP No. 1 ranking since 1978.

With most of its offense returning, Alabama promises a commanding presence on the field. Senior quarterback Greg McElroy is returning as the Tide’s main offensive leader, and in the backfield behind him is reining Heisman winner, Mark Ingram. Other offensive big-name returners are wide receiver Julio Jones and backup running back Trent Richardson.

The defensive side graduated most of its starters, but throughout the spring and summer, the coaching staff has worked on filling those holes with new players. One returning face is linebacker Dont’a Hightower, who missed most of last season after a serious knee injury during the Arkansas game.

Although Hightower comes in as a sophomore, he will take former Alabama linebacker Rolando McClain’s spot as the defensive leader.

Also returning on defense is safety Mark Barron, who is the only returning secondary player. In the 2009 season, he recorded 76 tackles.

Behind Alabama in the AP Poll in the No. 2 spot is Ohio State with three first-place votes, followed by Boise State at No. 3, Florida as No. 4 and Texas in at No. 5.

Along with Alabama, five other Southeastern Conference schools have made the AP Top 25 poll.

With Florida at No. 4, Arkansas comes next at No. 17. The other three schools, LSU, Auburn and Georgia, rank in at No. 21, 22 and 23, respectively.

Of these other five teams, the Tide plays four of them in its regular season. The Tide will host Florida and Auburn, while going on the road to both Arkansas and LSU.

Before the 2009 season, Alabama was No. 5 in the AP top 25, preseason poll and worked its way up throughout the season. The team couldn’t take the No. 1 spot until after the SEC Championship game in Atlanta, when the Tide finally knocked off the season-long No. 1 Gators.