College football’s worst kept offseason secret is finally out.

Defending national champion Alabama is ranked No. 1 in Monday’s Associated Press Preseason Top 25, the third consecutive season and fifth time since 2010 the Crimson Tide have started the season in the top spot.

Garnering 42 of 61 first-place votes in the preseason, Alabama is the only team in the College Football Playoff era to appear in the final four every year since inception. Nick Saban is one national championship away from eclipsing Paul ‘Bear’ Bryant’s mark for most all-time with seven and his team is the Vegas frontrunner to repeat.

Behind Alabama inside the Top 5 is Clemson, Georgia, Wisconsin and Ohio State, respectively. Alabama and Clemson have met head-to-head three consecutive years in the Playoff, twice in the national championship game.

Washington, Oklahoma, Auburn, Miami and Penn State round out the Top 10.

The UCF Knights, who currently hold the nation’s longest winning streak at 13 games, come in at No. 21 with first-year head coach Josh Heupel. UCF is the highest-ranked Group of 5 team, followed by Boise State.

The SEC and Big Ten lead college football with five nationally-ranked teams. At least from the outset, the Big Ten East appears to be the nation’s toughest division boasting four teams inside the Top 15.

Preseason AP Top 25 Poll

1) Alabama (42 first-place votes)

2) Clemson (18)

3) Georgia

4) Wisconsin (1)

5) Ohio State

6) Washington

7) Oklahoma

8) Miami

9) Auburn

10) Penn State

11) Michigan State

12) Notre Dame

13) Stanford

14) Michigan

15) USC

16) TCU

17) West Virginia

18) Mississippi St.

19) Florida State

20) Virginia Tech

21) UCF

22) Boise State

23) Texas

24) Oregon

25) LSU

Receiving votes: South Carolina 96, Florida 68, Utah 60, Oklahoma St. 51, FAU 38, Arizona 28, NC State 22, Texas A&M 21, Boston College 18, Northwestern 13, Kansas St. 10, Iowa St. 8, Houston 6, Memphis 3, Troy 2, Iowa 2, Kentucky 1, Arkansas St. 1, Fresno St. 1.

Poll methodology, per AP: The AP Top 25 is determined by a simple points system based on how each voter ranks college football's best teams. A team receives 25 points for each first place vote, 24 for second place and so on through to the 25th team, which receives one point. The rankings are set by listing the teams' point totals from highest to lowest.

Poll history, per AP: The Associated Press began its college football poll on Oct. 19, 1936, and it is now the longest-running poll of those that award national titles at the end of the season. The preseason poll was started in 1950. A panel of 61 sports writers and broadcasters from around the country votes on the poll weekly. All of the voters have an extensive background in covering college football. Alabama's ten AP national titles lead the way, with Notre Dame sitting second with eight.