As expected, Georgia will open the 2024 college football season as the No. 1 team in the Associated Press Top 25 poll.

The Bulldogs received 46 first-place votes to sit comfortably ahead of Ohio State, which received 15 votes.

Preseason AP Top 25 Poll

1. Georgia

2. Ohio State

3. Oregon

4. Texas

5. Alabama

6. Ole Miss

7. Notre Dame

8. Penn State

9. Michigan

10. Florida State

11. Missouri

12. Utah

13. LSU

14. Clemson

15. Tennessee

16. Oklahoma

17. Oklahoma State

18. Kansas State

19. Miami

20. Texas A&M

21. Arizona

22. Kansas

23. USC

24. North Carolina State

25. Iowa

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Coaches around the country already had their say, collectively ranking Georgia No. 1 overall by a similarly sizable margin.

The Bulldogs lost some key players from a team that finished 13-1 and blew out Florida State in the Orange Bowl. Their top two leading rushers, Daijun Edwards and Kendall Milton, are gone, as are steady receiving targets Brock Bowers and Ladd McConkey. On defense, safety Javon Bullard and cornerback Kamari Lassiter were second-round picks in the 2024 NFL draft.

However, Kirby Smart returns star quarterback Carson Beck along with linebacker Smael Mondon Jr., a second-team All-SEC honoree, and safety Malaki Starks, a consensus All-American.

This is a year when the hard work of Smart and his staff on the recruiting trail will pay off as well. Over the last three years, Georgia was third, second and first in 247Sports' composite team rankings. The Bulldogs will have plenty of depth across the squad.

One subplot to follow throughout the year is how much the spotlight shines on teams further down the Top 25.

Since the advent of the College Football Playoff, the race for the top four has been the primary storyline in the sport. To that end, a small handful of teams have often driven the conversation in any given season. Alabama, Clemson, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Georgia and Michigan have all made the playoff at least three times.

Now, the dynamic could be much different.

For one, the Group of Five conferences will require added attention since at least one team from that group is assured of a playoff berth. No longer are G5 programs relegated solely to the role of postseason spoiler.

Then there are the implications of lowering the bar for championship contention thanks to the expanded playoff and conference realignment.

The likes of Ole Miss and Missouri are viewing this as a playoff-or-bust year, while Utah, Kansas State, Oklahoma State, Arizona and NC State will believe they have an achievable road to the first round.

In addition, sifting through the middle of the pack in the Top 25 will have meaningful stakes for the CFP selection committee.

Missouri, Penn State, Ole Miss and Oklahoma were Nos. 9-12 in the final rankings after going 10-2 in the regular season. For all intents and purposes, the order in which those teams were placed didn't matter much.

The selection committee no longer has the luxury of being judged almost entirely by its top four. There's no doubt fans will argue over playoff seeding, and the Sooners fanbase specifically may have taken exception last season to their school being left out in favor of 13-0 Liberty in the new 12-team format.

By the time we get to the semifinals in January, the usual suspects will probably be the last four standing. The journey to get there, on the other hand, should offer plenty of chaos.