Oh, hells yeah

Georgia tops preseason poll, UF picked fifth
Posted on Fri, Aug. 01, 2008

GAINESVILLE -- The Dawgs have got something to bark about.
For the first time in their football-playing history, the Georgia Bulldogs are ranked No. 1 in a major preseason poll. The USA Today preseason coaches' poll was released Friday, and Georgia will start the season at the top. Coach Mark Richt's team clobbered Hawaii last season in the Sugar Bowl and apparently voters still remember the 41-10 beating. Georgia, which returns 17 starters, is one of three teams from the Southeastern Conference ranked in the top six. Florida, led by Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Tim Tebow is ranked No. 5. LSU, the defending national champion, is one spot behind the Gators. The Tigers will begin the season with an unproven quarterback after coach Les Miles dismissed Ryan Perrilloux (failed drug tests) from the team this offseason.
Neither Miami nor Florida State is ranked in the poll, though FSU did receive 53 votes. That's 53 more votes than the Hurricanes received. This is the second consecutive preseason coaches' poll to exclude UM.

South Florida, however, is ranked No. 21. It's the first preseason ranking for the Bulls in their 11-year history. USF returns 17 starters from its breakout season in 2007, including quarterback Matt Grothe and four offensive linemen.

Southern California is ranked No. 2 followed by Ohio State. Those rankings aren't expected to hold up for long, though. The Buckeyes, losers of the previous two BCS title games, travel to Los Angeles on Sept. 13 to play the Trojans.

Big 12 favorite Oklahoma is No. 4. The Sooners finished the 2007 season ranked eighth by the coaches after losing to Missouri in the Fiesta Bowl. Oklahoma returns quarterback Sam Bradford, who led the country in passing efficiency last season.
Rounding out the top 10 are Missouri, West Virginia, Clemson and Texas.
Clemson, ranked ninth, is the preseason favorite to win the Atlantic Coast Conference. ACC title contenders Virginia Tech (15) and Wake Forest (23) are also ranked.
Teams from the SEC, Big Ten and Big 12 combine to make up 60 percent of the poll. In addition to Georgia, Florida and LSU, the SEC is represented by Auburn (11) and Tennessee (18). Auburn, which boasts 25 Floridians (including 10 from Miami-Dade and Broward counties), begins the season with two new coordinators and a quarterback controversy.
Joining Ohio State in the top 25 are Big Ten brethren Wisconsin (12), Illinois (19), Penn State (22) and Michigan (25). The Big 12 has more teams ranked in the coaches' top 15 than any other conference. In addition to Oklahoma, Missouri and Texas, Kansas (the reigning Orange Bowl champ) is ranked No. 13 followed by Texas Tech at 14.