Nick Saban will be the first person to tell you that preseason polls don't matter.
Alabama, the defending national champion, opened at at No. 1 in the AP Preseason Poll. The Crimson Tide opened at No. 1 last year and became the first Preseason No. 1 to win the national championship since 2004.
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Alabama opened at No. 1 in 2016. This marks the fifth the time the Crimson Tide started at No. 1 under Saban.
Here's a look at the AP preseason No. 1 teams since 2000 and where they finished, along with the national champion since 2000 and where it started the season.
2000
Preseason No. 1: Nebraska (finished No. 8)
National Champion: Oklahoma (preseason No. 19)
2001
Preseason No. 1: Florida (finished No. 3)
National Champion: Miami, Fla. (preseason No. 2)
2002
Preseason No. 1: Miami, Fla. (finished No. 2)
National Champion: Ohio State (preseason No. 13)
2003
Preseason No. 1: Oklahoma (finished No. 3)
National Champion: USC (preseason No. 8)
2004
Preseason No. 1: USC
National Champion: USC
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2005
Preseason No. 1: USC (finished No. 2)
National Champion: Texas (preseason No. 2)
2006
Preseason No. 1: Ohio State (finished No. 2)
National Champion: Florida (preseason No. 7)
2007
Preseason No. 1: USC (finished No. 3)
National Champion: LSU (preseason No. 2)
2008
Preseason No. 1: Georgia (finished No. 13)
National Champion: Florida (preseason No. 5)
2009
Preseason No. 1: Florida (finished No. 3)
National Champion: Alabama (preseason No. 5)
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2010
Preseason No. 1: Alabama (finished No. 10)
National Champion: Auburn (preseason No. 22)
2011
Preseason No. 1: Oklahoma (finished No. 16)
National Champion: Alabama (preseason No. 2)
2012
Preseason No. 1: USC (finished unranked)
National Champion: Alabama (preseason No. 2)
2013
Preseason No. 1: Alabama (finished No. 7)
National Champion: Florida State (preseason No. 11)
2014
Preseason No. 1: Florida State (finished No. 5)
National champion: Ohio State (preseason No. 5)
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2015
Preseason No. 1: Ohio State (finished No. 4)
National champion: Alabama (preseason No. 3)
2016
Preseason No. 1: Alabama (finished No. 2)
National champion: Clemson (preseason No. 2)
2017
Preseason No. 1: Alabama
National Champion: Alabama