Stanford atop Pac-12 preseason football poll

LOS ANGELES - For the first time in the 56-year history of the Pac-12 preseason football poll, Stanford is No. 1.

Buoyed by Heisman Trophy candidate Christian McCaffrey, the Cardinal received 20 of 33 votes in a poll of media members that was released Thursday.

USC was next with five votes.

Cal, which lost quarterback Jared Goff to the NFL, was picked to finish fifth in the six-team North Division.

The poll has correctly predicted the conference champion in 29 of the previous 55 years, including 12 of the past 16.

Stanford claimed its third Pac-12 title a year ago, beating USC 41-21 at Levi’s Stadium in the conference championship game. In that showdown, McCaffrey delivered a record-breaking 461 all-purpose yards (on rushes, receptions and kick returns).

The Cardinal went on to defeat Iowa in the Rose Bowl to finish 12-2 and rank third in both the final Associated Press poll and final Coaches Poll.

McCaffrey returns for his junior season with a chance to become the school’s first Heisman Trophy winner since Jim Plunkett in 1970. A dangerous running back, receiver and return man, McCaffrey led FBS with 3,864 all-purpose yards last season. Here is the full poll released Thursday (with first-place votes in parentheses):

In the North Division, Stanford (24); Washington (8); Oregon (1); Washington State; Cal; Oregon State.

In the South Division: UCLA (19); USC (12); Utah (2); Arizona; Arizona State; Colorado.

Pac-12 title game champion: Stanford (20); USC (5), Washington (4), UCLA (3), Utah (1).