Written by David Regimbal

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Whether you love them or think they’re pointless, a panel of 59 coaches have collaborated and produced the preseason edition of the USA Today Coaches Poll. After a tumultuous offseason where Ohio State lost its overwhelmingly successful head coach and star quarterback, the Buckeyes went from being a top-five certainty to a preseason ranking in the mid-teens.

The Buckeyes check in at No. 16 -- trailing the two favorites to win the Big Ten conference this year (Wisconsin is ranked No. 10 and Nebraska is one spot behind them at No. 11). Michigan State comes in at No. 17 and Penn State just squeaked in at No. 25, giving the Big Ten five ranked teams.

The Oklahoma Sooners have claimed the top spot after coming off a 12-2 season in 2010 and a 48-20 romp of UConn in the Fiesta Bowl. The complete rankings are listed below:

1.  Oklahoma
2.  Alabama
3.  Oregon
4.  LSU
5.  Florida State
6.  Stanford
7.  Boise State
8.  Oklahoma State
9.  Texas A&M
10. Wisconsin
11. Nebraska
12. South Carolina
13. Virginia Tech
14. Arkansas
15. TCU
16. Ohio State
17. Michigan State
18. Notre Dame
19. Auburn
20. Mississippi State
21. Missouri
22. Georgia
23. Florida
24. Texas
25. Penn State

USC (Southern Cal) is not eligible for the Coaches Poll due to the post-season ban they’re serving.