Utah has finished the past three seasons ranked in the top 25, and the Utes will be ranked to start the 2017 season.
Utah is ranked No. 25 in the preseason Coaches Poll released Thursday, with 109 points. The Utes finished last year ranked No. 21 in the coaches poll and No. 23 in The Associated Press poll.
BYU also received 10 points and are 42nd among teams who received votes.
Alabama is No. 1 in the poll with 1,603 points and 49 first-place votes. Ohio State (1,512, five) is No. 2, followed by Florida State (1,434, four), USC (1,415, 0) and defending national champion Clemson (1,367, seven) rounding out the top 5.
The Pac-12 is well-represented, with four teams in the top 25 and two others sitting just outside. In addition to Utah and USC, Washington is No. 7 and Stanford is No. 14, while Washington State and Colorado are the top two vote-getters in others receiving votes.
Wisconsin, which faces Utah State on Sept. 1 and BYU on Sept. 16, is ranked No. 10 while LSU, which plays BYU on Sept. 2, is No. 12.
The AP preseason poll will be unveiled on Aug. 21.
Coaches poll
The preseason Coaches Top 25 football poll, with first-place votes in parentheses, final 2016 records, total points based on 25 points for first place through one point for 25th, and last season's final ranking:
| Record | Pts | Pvs | |
| 1. Alabama (49) | 14-1 | 1603 | 2 |
| 2. Ohio State (5) | 11-2 | 1512 | 6 |
| 3. Florida State (4) | 10-3 | 1434 | 8 |
| 4. Southern Cal | 10-3 | 1415 | 5 |
| 5. Clemson (7) | 14-1 | 1367 | 1 |
| 6. Penn State | 11-3 | 1257 | 7 |
| 7. Washington | 12-2 | 1245 | 4 |
| 8. Oklahoma | 11-2 | 1237 | 3 |
| 9. Michigan | 10-3 | 959 | 10 |
| 10. Wisconsin | 11-3 | 936 | 9 |
| 11. Oklahoma State | 10-3 | 912 | 11 |
| 12. LSU | 8-4 | 834 | 14 |
| 13. Auburn | 8-5 | 819 | 22 |
| 14. Stanford | 10-3 | 732 | 12 |
| 15. Georgia | 8-5 | 701 | NR |
| 16. Florida | 9-4 | 681 | 13 |
| 17. Louisville | 9-4 | 676 | 20 |
| 18. Miami | 9-4 | 472 | 23 |
| 19. Kansas State | 9-4 | 339 | NR |
| 20. West Virginia | 10-3 | 319 | 17 |
| 21. South Florida | 11-2 | 247 | 19 |
| 22. Virginia Tech | 10-4 | 235 | 16 |
| 23. Texas | 5-7 | 193 | NR |
| 24. Tennessee | 9-4 | 155 | 24 |
| 25. Utah | 9-4 | 109 | 21 |
Others receiving votes: Washington State 99, Colorado 72, TCU 58, Boise State 49, Notre Dame 49, Texas A&M 46, Pittsburgh 45, N.C. State 39, Oregon 37, Northwestern 25, Nebraska 23, Memphis 22, Arkansas 22, Mississippi State 19, San Diego State 18, Appalachian State 11, BYU 10, Georgia Tech 10, Tulsa 10, Wyoming 9, Western Michigan 8, Temple 8, North Carolina 8, Houston 7, Troy 6, Minnesota 6, Iowa 5, Louisiana Tech 4, Syracuse 3, Arizona 2, Army 1, Colorado State 1, Michigan State 1, Maryland 1, Toledo 1, UCLA 1.