COLUMBUS, Ohio — Two Ohio college football programs will begin the 2022 season ranked in the USA TODAY Sports AFCA Coaches Poll.

The USA TODAY Sports AFCA Board of Coaches ranked Ohio State University and the University of Cincinnati among the top 25 college football programs in the Football Bowl Subdivision.

Ohio State ranked second heading into the season. The Buckeyes finished the 2021 season ranked fifth in the final poll after winning the 2022 Rose Bowl versus Utah.

Cincinnati is ranked 22nd in the first 2022 poll. The Bearcats finished the 2021 season ranked fourth in the coaches poll after losing to Alabama at the Cotton Bowl in the College Football Playoff.

Alabama was voted No. 1 in the preseason poll released Monday and defending national champion Georgia was third.

The Crimson Tide received 54 first-place votes, the Buckeyes received five first-place votes and the Bulldogs got six. No. 18 Texas also received a first-place vote.

Clemson was No. 4 and Notre Dame was No. 5. Michigan, coming off its first CFP appearance, was sixth, followed by Texas A&M, Utah, Oklahoma and Baylor.

The Associated Press preseason Top 25 will be released Aug. 15.

Ohio State hosts Notre Dame on Sept. 3 at 7:30 p.m., and Cincinnati plays at Arkansas at 3:30 p.m.

The USA TODAY Sports AFCA Board of Coaches is 66 head coaches at FBS schools who are members of the American Football Coaches Association.

The board for the 2022 season includes Ohio college coaches Tim Albin, Ohio University; Luke Fickell, University of Cincinnati; Sean Lewis, Kent State University; Chuck Martin, Miami University (Ohio); Joe Moorhead, University of Akron.

Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.