The Ohio State football team takes the field for the 2018 Spring Game at Ohio Stadium between Team Scarlet and Team Gray. Credit: Jack Westerheide | Managing Editor for Design

The preseason Amway Coaches Poll was released Thursday, placing Ohio State as the No. 3 team in the country behind No. 1 Alabama and No. 2 Clemson.

Last season, Ohio State was the No. 2 team in the preseason coaches poll behind the Crimson Tide. The Buckeyes finished as Big Ten champions, but were the No. 5 team in the nation at the end of the season, defeating No. 10 USC in the 2018 Cotton Bowl.

Ohio State is one of five teams from the Big Ten in the 2018 preseason poll and one of three teams in the Top 10 with Wisconsin being placed at No. 7 and Penn State being placed at No. 9.

Also, TCU, who will play the Buckeyes on Sept. 15 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, was ranked at No. 16 team in the nation in the preseason poll.

This poll was released one day after Ohio State announced that it has put its head coach, Urban Meyer, on paid administrative leave as the school investigates allegations made that he knew about domestic violence cases involving former wide receiver coach and recruiting coordinator Zach Smith.

Offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Ryan Day has been named as the acting head coach as the investigation continues.

2018 Preseason Amway Coaches Poll

No. 1 Alabama

No. 2 Clemson

No. 3 Ohio State

No. 4 Georgia

No. 5 Oklahoma

No. 6 Washington

No. 7 Wisconsin

No. 8 Miami

No. 9 Penn State

No. 10 Auburn

No. 11 Notre Dame

No. 12 Michigan State

No. 13 Stanford

No. 14 Michigan

No. 15 USC

No. 16 TCU

No. 17 Virginia Tech

No. 18 Mississippi State

No. 19 Florida State

No. 20 West Virginia

No. 21 Texas

No. 22 Boise State

No. 23 Central Florida

No. 24 LSU

No. 25 Oklahoma State