Ohio State dominates USA Today coaches’ poll but suspends four players

Defending national champion Ohio State was the obvious, and near unanimous, preseason No. 1 pick in the USA Today college football coaches poll.

Ohio State earned 62 of 64 first-place votes in the first 2015 poll, released Thursday.

But the road to a second title got a little rougher for the Buckeyes on Thursday. Ohio State announced that four players -- All-America defensive end Joey Bosa, receiver Corey Smith and H-backs Jalin Marshall and Dontre Wilson -- would be suspended for the Buckeyes’ opener against Virginia Tech for violating unspecified team rules.

USC, picked to win the Pac-12 by the media, opens at No. 10 in the poll, while UCLA is No. 14.

The Pac-12 has six teams in the top 25, but none in the top four. Oregon, at No. 5, is the highest ranked Pac-12 school.

The top four is Ohio State, followed by Texas Christian, Alabama and Baylor.

The Southeastern Conference leads all conferences with eight teams in the poll, followed by the Pac-12’s six.

Pac-12 Commissioner Larry Scott said he thinks his conference is closing the perception gap in terms of national reputation.

“You’re starting to see a shift,” Scott said Thursday during Pac-12 media days at Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank. “I think the perception is starting to change.”

The USA Today poll is no longer part of the process that determines the college football national champion. The sport last year moved to a four-team playoff determined by a selection committee.

chris.dufresne@latimes.com