Auburn ranked in top 10 of preseason AP poll

Auburn will kick off the 2018 season ranked just outside the top 10.

The Tigers checked in at No. 9 in the preseason AP poll released Monday morning. It's the program's highest ranking to start a season since 2015, when Gus Malzahn's team was ranked sixth heading into the year.

Auburn is the third-highest ranked SEC team in the poll, coming in behind top-ranked, defending national champion Alabama and third-ranked Georgia, the two teams that played in last season's College Football Playoff final. In all, five SEC teams are ranked to open the season.

Auburn was ranked 10th in the preseason coaches poll released earlier this month.

Auburn will open the season against a top-10 opponent after Washington came in at No. 6 in the poll. The two teams will square off Sept. 1 in Atlanta's Mercedes-Benz Stadium, with the game kicking off at 2:30 p.m. CT on ABC.

Tom Green is an Auburn beat reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Tomas_Verde.

from Auburn Sports Impact http://www.al.com/auburnfootball/index.ssf/2018/08/auburn_preseason_ap_poll.html