UF In USA Today/ESPN Coaches’ Preseason Poll
Thursday, July 31, 2003 | Football
The University of Florida football team extended the nation's longest active streak of appearing in a major poll, as the Gators checked in at No. 21 in the preseason USA Today/ESPN Top 25 Coaches' Poll, the 221st consecutive poll they have been ranked in.
The Gators received 312 points – just 36 shy of No. 20 Wisconsin. The Gators will face one of the toughest schedules in the nation in 2003 as five teams ranked in the top 16 are sprinkled in the Florida schedule, including home dates against No. 12 Florida State and No. 16 Tennessee. The Gators will face No. 3 Miami and No. 15 LSU on the road, as well as meet up with No. 9 Georgia in Jacksonville.
The Southeastern Conference tied with the Big Ten for most schools ranked in the top 25 with five, followed by the Big 12 and the ACC with four teams apiece. Of the 12 schools in the SEC, eight were either ranked in the top 25 or received votes – matching the totals of the Big 12 and the Big Ten. The SEC also was the only conference to place four schools inside the top 16 and five inside the top 21.
Florida opens the 2003 season on Aug. 30 at home in the newly renovated Ben Hill Griffin Stadium against San Jose State at 6 p.m.
USA TODAY/ESPN TOP 25 COACHES' POLL
The PRESEASON Top 25 football coaches poll, with first-place votes in
parentheses, team's 2002 record, total points based on 25 points for first
place through one point for 25th, and ranking in the final poll of the 2002
season:
Rank School (Firsts) Record Points Final 2002 ranking
1. Oklahoma (29) 12-2 1,514 5
2. Ohio State (28) 14-0 1,495 1
3. Miami, Fla. (5) 12-1 1,448 2
4. Texas 11-2 1,291 7
5. Kansas State 11-2 1,165 6
6. Auburn (1) 9-4 1,153 16
7. Michigan 10-3 1,110 9
8. Southern California 11-2 1,075 4
9. Georgia 13-1 1,030 3
10. Virginia Tech 10-4 932 14
11. Pittsburgh 9-4 712 18
12. Florida State 9-5 711 23
13. Maryland 11-3 704 13
14. North Carolina State 11-3 682 11
15. LSU 8-5 662 NR
16. Tennessee 8-5 658 NR
17. Virginia 9-5 526 25
18. Notre Dame 10-3 515 17
19. Washington 7-6 459 NR
20. Wisconsin 8-6 348 NR
21. Florida 8-5 312 24
22. Purdue 7-6 305 NR
23. Arizona State 8-6 297 NR
24. Oklahoma State 8-5 159 NR
25. (tie) Colorado State 10-4 143 NR
25. (tie) Penn State 9-4 143 15
Others receiving votes: Iowa 132; Colorado 127; TCU 95; Texas A&M 90; Oregon
State 70; Nebraska 64; UCLA 40; West Virginia 31; Hawaii 24; Boise State 22;
Brigham Young 22; Fresno State 22; Minnesota 22; Boston College 21; Arkansas
16; Washington State 16; Mississippi 14; Clemson 13; Missouri 12; Oregon 12;
Marshall 11; Georgia Tech 9; New Mexico 9; Southern Mississippi 9; Utah 7;
South Carolina 4; Air Force 3; Louisville 3; California 2; Illinois 1; North
Texas 1; Syracuse 1; Toledo 1.
