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Stanford Cardinal football is ranked No. 21 in the 2012 AP Preseason poll, a significant-but-not-unexpected drop from its 2011 final ranking of No. 7. The No. 1 ranking went to the USC Trojans, followed by the Alabama Crimson Tide, the LSU Tigers, Oklahoma and Oregon.
The ranking is a step down from the No. 19 that Stanford earned in SB Nation's Blogpoll and the No. 18 earned in the 2012 Coaches' preseason poll. Stanford's decline from their 2011 ranking can be attributed to the departure of Andrew Luck, but the Cardinal still boasts a strong offensive line and a strong defense.
| RANK | TEAM | 2011 RECORD | POINTS | PV |
| 1 | Southern Cal (25) | 10-2 | 1,445 | 6 |
| 2 | Alabama (17) | 12-1 | 1,411 | 1 |
| 3 | LSU (16) | 13-1 | 1,402 | 2 |
| 4 | Oklahoma (1) | 10-3 | 1,286 | 16 |
| 5 | Oregon | 12-2 | 1,274 | 4 |
| 6 | Georgia | 10-4 | 1,107 | 19 |
| 7 | Florida St. | 9-4 | 1,093 | 23 |
| 8 | Michigan (1) | 11-2 | 1,000 | 12 |
| 9 | South Carolina | 11-2 | 994 | 9 |
| 10 | Arkansas | 11-2 | 963 | 5 |
| 11 | West Virginia | 10-3 | 856 | 17 |
| 12 | Wisconsin | 11-3 | 838 | 10 |
| 13 | Michigan St. | 11-3 | 742 | 11 |
| 14 | Clemson | 10-4 | 615 | 22 |
| 15 | Texas | 8-5 | 569 | NR |
| 16 | Virginia Tech | 11-3 | 548 | 21 |
| 17 | Nebraska | 9-4 | 485 | 24 |
| 18 | Ohio St. | 6-7 | 474 | NR |
| 19 | Oklahoma St. | 12-1 | 430 | 3 |
| 20 | TCU | 11-2 | 397 | 14 |
| 21 | Stanford | 11-2 | 383 | 7 |
| 22 | Kansas St. | 10-3 | 300 | 15 |
| 23 | Florida | 7-6 | 214 | NR |
| 24 | Boise St. | 12-1 | 212 | 8 |
| 25 | Louisville | 7-6 | 105 | NR |
Others Receiving Votes: Notre Dame 83, Washington 55, Auburn 53, North Carolina 32, Utah 30, Georgia Tech 25, BYU 22, Tennessee 15, South Florida 11, Baylor 9, Texas A&M 5, UCF 4, Cincinnati 3, Missouri 3, N.C. State 3, Houston 1, Louisiana Tech 1, Mississippi St. 1, N. Illinois 1.
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