[Wildcatk23]

Florida tops USA Today coaches' poll

Defending national champion Florida tops the USA Today preseason football coaches' poll, receiving 53 of 59 first-place votes.

Texas was second in the poll released Friday, followed by Oklahoma, Southern California, Alabama, Ohio State, Virginia Tech, Penn State, LSU and Mississippi.


The Associated Press preseason Top 25 will be released Saturday, Aug. 22.

The USA Today preseason Top 25 football coaches poll, with first-place votes in parentheses, team's 2008 records, total points based on 25 points for first place through one point for 25th and final 2008 poll ranking:

RK. TEAM RECORD PTS 2008
1. Florida (53) 13-1 1,466 1
2. Texas (4) 12-1 1,386 3
3. Oklahoma (1) 12-2 1,358 5
4. Southern Cal (1) 12-1 1,321 2
5. Alabama 12-2 1,134 6
6. Ohio State 10-3 1,126 11
7. Virginia Tech 10-4 1,020 14
8. Penn State 11-2 988 8
9. LSU 8-5 917 nr
10. Mississippi 9-4 889 15
11. Oklahoma State 9-4 861 18
12. California 9-4 711 25
13. Georgia 10-3 707 10
14. Oregon 10-3 694 9
15. Georgia Tech 9-4 559 22
16. Boise State 12-1 542 13
17. TCU 11-2 461 7
18. Utah 13-0 404 4
19. Florida State 9-4 371 23
20. North Carolina 8-5 293 nr
21. Iowa 9-4 257 20
22. Nebraska 9-4 236 nr
23. Notre Dame 7-6 194 nr
24. Brigham Young 10-3 178 21
25. Oregon State 9-4 165 19
Others receiving votes (with 2008 records): Kansas (8-5) 138; Michigan State (9-4) 136; Texas Tech (11-2) 114; Cincinnati (11-3) 90; Pittsburgh (9-4) 64; West Virginia (9-4) 55; Rutgers (8-5) 51; Miami (Fla.) (7-6) 46; Missouri (10-4) 44; Illinois (5-7) 38; Clemson (7-6) 30; South Carolina (7-6) 18; UCLA (4-8) 14; Auburn (5-7) 12; Nevada (7-6) 11; South Florida (8-5) 11; Kentucky (7-6) 9; North Carolina State (6-7) 7; Arkansas (5-7) 6; Wisconsin (7-6) 6; Northwestern (9-4) 5; Southern Mississippi (7-6) 4; Wake Forest (8-5) 4; Arizona (8-5) 3; Boston College (9-5) 3; Central Michigan (8-5) 3; East Carolina (9-5) 3; Colorado (5-7) 2; Maryland (8-5) 2; Navy (8-5) 2; Tennessee (5-7) 2; Houston (8-5) 1; Michigan (3-9) 1; Minnesota (7-6) 1; Troy (8-5) 1.

[Cat Scratch Fever]

Florida will be a tough team on both sides of the ball. Defense will have all kinds of speed and we know what the offense will be like with Tebow and company. Pity Tennessee when they play Florida after their coach gave the Gators all kinds of bulletin board material. That will be a long Saturday for the Vols.

[PC_You_Know]

Someone voted USC #1? LOL.

[Stardust]

Someone voted USC #1? LOL.

Hmmm, I do beleive USC is better than Florida. USC is at least #2 in the polls based on Florida is deserved of #2 from last year, but USC is that GOOD!

[Cat Scratch Fever]

USC should be good, just a matter if they can get early quality play at QB. When they go to Ohio State early in the season it will go a long way towards USC's season.

[Wildcatk23]

Hmmm, I do beleive USC is better than Florida. USC is at least #2 in the polls based on Florida is deserved of #2 from last year, but USC is that GOOD!

You believe there better than florida after loosing there starting QB?

[Deathstar 80]

You can say over and over again that Florida will win the National Championship game, but statistics go against this.

The text below gives the year, #1 preseason team of that year, the national champions of that year, and where the preseason #1 team ended up (which is based on the USA Today Poll). Here are the last seven years of College Football rankings:

Year-----#1 Preseason Team-----National Champion-----Where the Preseason #1 Team ended up
2002-----Miami-----------------------Ohio State-----------------------------#2
2003-----Oklahoma------------------LSU-------------------------------------#3
2004-----USC-------------------------USC-------------------------------------#1
2005-----USC-------------------------Texas-----------------------------------#2
2006-----Ohio State-----------------Florida----------------------------------#2
2007-----USC-------------------------LSU--------------------------------------#2
2008-----Georgia---------------------Florida---------------------------------#10

In the last seven years, there has never been a repeating National Champion Team. USC had two Heisman players, and they couldn't even accomplish that feat. Also, the only #1 Preseason Team that has won a national championship was USC in 2004.

[Stardust]

You believe there better than florida after loosing there starting QB?

You mean the same USC that has going into the fourth consecutive year with a new starting QB? Hmm, does not look like USC has to have a QB that is a carryover in order to be successful!

[Deathstar 80]

You mean the same USC that has going into the fourth consecutive year with a new starting QB? Hmm, does not look like USC has to have a QB that is a carryover in order to be successful!

Two of those quarterbacks are freshman. The other two are sophomores. Their quarterback shouldn't be good (seeing that it's going to be an underclassman quarterback), yet it's USC. And as Stardust mentioned, USC doesn't seem to have any trouble with replacing quarterbacks.

[biteyainthebutt]

The only thing might hurt the gators will be the lack of experience at WR.