Georgia No. 1 in preseason coaches" poll
editor1 |Aug 01,2008
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MCLEAN, Virginia (Ticker) -- Georgia, which routed Hawaii in
last season's Sugar Bowl, has been tabbed as the No. 1 team in
the USA Today preseason coaches' poll released Friday.
The Bulldogs ended last season with a seven-game winning streak,
including a 41-10 drubbing of Hawaii, which came into the Sugar
Bowl as the last remaining unbeaten team in the Football Bowl
Subdivision. Georgia may have finished as the hottest team in
the country, but early losses to South Carolina and Tennessee
cost it a spot in the national championship game.
Georgia (11-2), which was third in last season's final poll,
collected 22 of 61 first-place votes and 1,438 points from a
nationwide panel of coaches - just ahead of Southern California
(11-2). The Trojans, who are favored to win a seventh straight
Pac-10 Conference title, garnered 14 first-place votes and 1,430
points.
Ohio State (11-2), which has lost in the BCS title game the last
two years, begins the season ranked third after also receiving
14 first-place ballots and 1,392 points. Oklahoma (11-3) and
Florida (9-4), with returning Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow,
complete the top five.
In a huge early-season game, Ohio State visits USC on September
13. Georgia and Florida clash on November 1
in their annual game in Jacksonville, Florida.
The Sooners received three first-place votes and the Gators
five. The remaining three first-place votes went to defending
national champion Louisiana State (12-2), which is sixth in the
preseason poll.
Completing the top 10 are Missouri (12-2), West Virginia (11-2),
Clemson (9-4) and Texas (10-3). They are followed by Auburn
(9-4), Wisconsin (9-4), Kansas (12-1), Texas Tech (9-4),
Virginia Tech (11-3), Arizona State (10-3), Brigham Young
(11-2), Tennessee (10-4), Illinois (9-4) and Oregon (9-4).
South Florida (9-4) is 21st, followed Penn State (9-4), Wake
Forest (9-4), Michigan (9-4) and Fresno State (9-4).
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