Sunshine State first: Four teams ranked in preseason poll

Long a college football hotbed, the state of Florida has produced 10 national championship teams, but it never had four teams ranked in the Associated Press’ Top 25 preseason poll.

Until now.

With the University of South Florida earning only its second preseason ranking since the program’s inception in 1997, the Sunshine State enters the 2017 season with four of the top 19 teams in the country.

Not to mention lofty expectations across the board.

Alabama was ranked No. 1 for the second straight season and the third time in five years after receiving 52 of a possible 61 first-place votes from a panel of media members, with Ohio State second after getting three first-place votes.

Coming off a 10-3 season and a victory over Michigan in the Orange Bowl, Florida State got four first-place votes and was third in the poll – the 16th time since 1988 the Seminoles have started the season in the Top 5. With former IMG Academy standout Deondre Francois back for his second season as the starting quarterback, head coach Jimbo Fisher has a talent-rich roster that many feel is deep enough to win the program’s fourth national title.

It won’t take long for the Noles to find out where they stand: FSU and Alabama meet to open the season on Sept. 2 at the new Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.

Southern California and defending national champion Clemson rounded out the Top 5.

Florida, Miami and USF were the Nos. 17, 18 and 19 teams.

The Gators, who open Sept. 2 against No. 11 Michigan at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, won nine games last season, including a 30-3 thrashing of Iowa at the Outback Bowl in Tampa. Luke Del Rio, Feleipe Franks and former Notre Dame signal caller Malik Zaire are competing to take the first snap at quarterback for the Gators, who won the SEC East crown in each of head coach Jim McElwain’s first two seasons on the sideline.

The Hurricanes, who haven’t named a starting quarterback for their Sept. 2 season opener against Bethune-Cookman, are ranked in the preseason poll for the first time since 2010. UM went 9-4 last season and won its first bowl game in 10 years to cap head coach Mark Richt’s first season in Coral Gables. Richt is expected to name a starting quarterback – likely either Malik Rosier or Evan Sheriffs – on Tuesday.

The Bulls, who were also ranked 19th to start the 2008 season, have high hopes as they enter their first season under head coach Charlie Strong. In its final season under Bradenton native and former Manatee High standout Willie Taggart, USF won a program-record 11 games. Taggart left to take over the Oregon program, but Strong inherits a roster that includes eight players represented on 14 national award watch lists, led by quarterback Quinton Flowers. South Florida opens the season Saturday at San Jose State.

The SEC led the way with six teams, with Auburn (No. 12), LSU (No. 13), Georgia (No. 15) and Tennessee (No. 25) joining Alabama and Florida.

The ACC was next with five, with Louisville (No. 16) and Virginia Tech (No. 21) joining FSU, Clemson and Miami. The Big 12 also had five teams.

USF was the lone AAC team to earn a preseason ranking.

This story was originally published August 21, 2017 at 6:28 PM with the headline "Sunshine State first: Four teams ranked in preseason poll."