Miami tops preseason USA Today/ESPN poll|

Miami tops preseason USA Today/ESPN poll|
By Craig Barnes
South Florida Sun-Sentinel

FORT LAUDERDALE — The Miami Hurricanes begin this season where they ended the last one, ranked No. 1 in the USA Today/ESPN coaches’ poll, one of the two polls used by the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) formula to determine the two teams that play for the national championship.
It will not be easy for UM to repeat. Nebraska was the last team to do it in 1994 and 1995. The Hurricanes also have a chance to go wire-to-wire, something last accomplished by Florida State in 1999.
With the coaches’ preseason poll released on Thursday, the Hurricanes now await their starting position in The Associated Press writers’ poll, which will be released Aug. 11.
Texas, Oklahoma, Florida State and Tennessee followed the Hurricanes to round out the top five. Florida is No. 7. The Big Ten and SEC each had five teams in the Top 25, but the Big 12 had four in the Top 10.
‘‘We appreciate the respect for our program and the returning players shown by the coaches in voting us No. 1,’’ coach Larry Coker said. ‘‘This is a great honor, but it is only a start. It is much more important where you are ranked in the last poll than in the first.’’
If the Hurricanes are to repeat, they will do it with less experience in the secondary and offensive line and by conquering their most challenging schedule in years.
They play at Florida on Sept. 7, host Florida State on Oct. 12 and travel to Tennessee on Nov. 9 in addition a Big East schedule that includes games against No. 16 Virginia Tech and at Syracuse.
‘‘It is a tremendous challenge to repeat as national champions,’’ Coker said, ‘‘especially in light of our strong Big East schedule and having Florida State, Florida and Tennessee among our non-conference opponents.’’
Florida State, coming off an 8-4 season that broke a streak of 14 straight years in the top five with 10 wins or more, made the biggest jump from its finishing position. The Seminoles closed at No. 15 but begin at No. 4.
Florida finished No. 3 in its final season under Steve Spurrier but will begin four spots lower in its first season under Ron Zook.
The Seminoles’ ACC schedule includes road games at No. 20 Maryland and No. 25 N.C. State. The Wolfpack upset the Seminoles 34-28 in Tallahassee last season, breaking a 39-0 home streak against ACC teams.
In addition to facing the Hurricanes, the Seminoles open against Iowa State (in Kansas City), play at No. 17 Louisville and host Notre Dame and Florida.
The Gators host the Hurricanes and travel to Tennessee two weeks later. Before finishing the regular season against the Seminoles in Tallahassee, the Gators play No. 11 Georgia (Jacksonville) and host No. 13 LSU and No. 22 South Carolina.
The Texas-Oklahoma game in Dallas on Oct. 12 could decide the Big 12 Southern Division. Both play No. 8 Nebraska and Texas A&M. The Sooners play at No. 6 Colorado, and the Longhorns play at Nebraska.
The Colorado-Nebraska game on Nov. 29 in Lincoln, Neb., could decide the Northern Division. The Buffaloes’ non-conference schedule includes games against No. 19 Southern California and UCLA, and the Cornhuskers play at No. 24 Penn State.


Eds: Corrects Florida to number 7, sted tied at 6.|
USA Today/ESPN Top 25 Poll|
The top 25 teams in the preseason USA Today-ESPN college football poll, with first-place votes in parentheses, final 2001 records, total points based on 25 points for a first-place vote through one point for a 25th-place vote and last ranking:|
;Record;Pts;Pvs
1. Miami (Fla.) (34);12-0;1,444;1
2. Texas (9);11-2;1,399;5
3. Oklahoma (11);11-2;1,397;6
4. Florida State (7);8-4;1,357;15
5. Tennessee;11-2;1,255;4
6. Colorado;10-3;1,010;9
7. Florida;10-2;972;3
8. Nebraska;11-2;951;7
9. Washington;8-4;914;19
10. Michigan;8-4;894;20
11. Georgia;8-4;858;25
12. Ohio State;7-5;761;—
13. LSU;10-3;749;8
14. Washington State;10-2;748;11
15. Oregon;11-1;663;2
16. Virginia Tech;8-4;550;18
17. Louisville;11-2;378;16
18. Michigan State;7-5;371;—
18. Southern California;6-6;349;—
20. Maryland;10-2;315;10
21. Marshall;11-2;280;21
22. South Carolina;9-3;213;13
23. Wisconsin;5-7;210;—
24. Penn State;5-6;206;—
25. N.C. State;7-5;174;—
Others receiving votes: Texas A&M 158, Auburn 150, UCLA 114, Kansas State 110, Boston College 85, Brigham Young 84, Georgia Tech 70, Syracuse 66, Illinois 55, Oregon State 54, Clemson 46, Purdue 45, Utah 44, Fresno State 42, Mississippi 41, Arkansas 40, Colorado State 39, Southern Mississippi 23, Iowa State 22, Stanford 21, Notre Dame 18, Hawaii 14, Arizona 12, Iowa 11, Texas Tech 11, Boise State 7, Pittsburgh 7, North Carolina 4, Toledo 4, Virginia 3, Minnesota 2, West Virginia 2, Louisiana Tech 1, UNLV 1, Wake Forest 1.

 

HooRah, Heels get some votes!! Time to rebuild the defence

 

Re: Re: Miami tops preseason USA Today/ESPN poll|

What a joke.

 

Re: Re: Re: Miami tops preseason USA Today/ESPN poll|

Bring those Wolfies over to Chapel Hill. No one thought much of the Heels last year and they won their bowl? NCSU? Oh yeah another bowl embarrassment

 

Nebraska is WAY to high IMO.