Coaches poll

[GatorGreg]

Hey Momo, I notice there are THREE teams from Florida in the top ten, and NONE from Alabama

By Alan Schmadtke
Sentinel Staff Writer

July 30, 2004, 10:10 AM EDT

Southern California tops LSU in the first college football coaches' poll of the season, a reverse of the national championship vote at the end of last year.

The Trojans, winners of the media poll that gave them half a share of the 2003 national crown, pulled in 44 of 61 first-place votes and will start the season ahead of fellow title contenders Oklahoma, LSU and Georgia.

Miami starts the season No. 5, the highest spot for any of Florida's five Division I-A programs.

The USA Today/ESPN coaches' poll was released early this morning.

Florida State is No. 6, followed by Michigan, Texas, Ohio State and No.
10 Florida.

The rankings set up a heavyweight Atlantic Coast Conference match on Labor Day night, FSU at Miami.

West Virginia, which comes to Orlando on Sept. 11 to face UCF, has its highest preseason ranking in the coaches' poll. The Mountaineers are 11th, matching their preseason spot in the media poll in 1998.

After West Virginia comes No. 12 Iowa, Kansas State, Tennessee, California and Clemson.

Wisconsin, UCF's season-opening opponent on Sept. 4, is 22nd.

All five of Florida's I-A coaches participate in the poll, which carries a little bit more significance in the national championship chase this season. The Bowl Championship Series, a de facto title system, recently altered its method of ranking teams.

Its rankings -- it prefers "standings" -- don't start until mid-October, but this year the coaches' poll and AP poll have more weight to them.
Their average is two of the three parts of the standings formula.
Computer ratings represent the other third.

In December, coaches found themselves walking a public relations tightrope over a contractual obligation that made them vote for the winner of the BCS Championship Game as their national champion. LSU and Oklahoma played in that game, but USC was the coaches' top team.

Coaches bumped the Trojans to No. 2 even after they beat Michigan in the Rose Bowl. Three coaches broke ranks and voted USC No. 1 anyway. Those coaches never were identified.

Neither ESPN, USA Today nor the American Football Coaches Association releases coaches' ballots --- a stickler for BCS critics who decry the poll's inherent bias.

Alan Schmadtke can be reached at [email protected].

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[Hoomiester]

You mean two ACC teams.

They won't be there after they play the two Virginia teams this year (I hope).

 

[silver4x419]

Glad to see Michigan on that list....

 

[momo.75]

Hey Momo, I notice there are THREE teams from Florida in the top ten, and NONE from Alabama

As we (Auburn) showed last year, pre-season rankings don't mean a thing. We were ranked pre-season No. 1 last year and we completely blew it. i am just glad we got our running backs back again this year. They have also bulked up from last year, so they should be pretty good. I am so ready for some tailgating and football.

Boy, Fulmer (Tennessee) has really stepped in it now. They have actually considered canceling the Alabama vs Tenn. game because of all the allogations. They think they will become too violent in the stands.

 

[1999ncsu]

You mean two ACC teams.

They won't be there after they play the two Virginia teams this year (I hope).

And one team from North Carolina.

 

[Hoomiester]

And one team from North Carolina.

Hey NCSU (wolfpack)! We ACC fans have to stick together now that we are in the absolute best all-around conference!

Now if we can just beat FSU and Miami in the same year we'll be doing something.

 

[momo.75]

Hey NCSU (wolfpack)! We ACC fans have to stick together now that we are in the absolute best all-around conference!

 

[Thai]

Woohoo, Miami in top 5!! Who's your daddy, Gatorgreg?!!

 

[1999ncsu]

Hey NCSU (wolfpack)! We ACC fans have to stick together now that we are in the absolute best all-around conference!

Now if we can just beat FSU and Miami in the same year we'll be doing something.

Definetly. I used to live in Charlottesville, so I became a Hoos fan. The NCSU v. UVA game was one of the most exciting games I've seen in person.

Who is taking over for Shaub?

 

[GatorGreg]

Woohoo, Miami in top 5!! Who's your daddy, Gatorgreg?!!

Yeah, well maybe UF should start recruiting at the local juvenile detention facility like UM does

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=1847322

I had a good laugh at the comments from UM's AD in the above article:

Dee insisted the decision to admit Williams did not signal a return to the old days when the Hurricanes were referred to as a team of "convicts."

"I can't control what people think," Dee said. "I can tell them what the facts are. The fact of the matter is there is no return to the 'days of misunderstandings,' as I prefer to call it."

 

[Hoomiester]

Definetly. I used to live in Charlottesville, so I became a Hoos fan. The NCSU v. UVA game was one of the most exciting games I've seen in person.

Who is taking over for Shaub?

Marques Hagans. A short Jr who Matt beat out at FSU 2 years ago. He's quick and played WR/punt returner last year as he was wasted as the backup QB. We also have 4 others that all are drop back/pro types. We are loaded at QB and have 3 signed for next year.

UVA is quickly building a team that can go all of the way. We're favored over Miami here this year unless Hagans gets hurt.