Buckeyes Ranked Ninth in AP Preseason Poll – Ohio State Buckeyes
8/13/1999 12:00:00 AM | Football
Aug. 13, 1999
By RICHARD ROSENBLATT
%^$AP Football Writer%^$
Florida State finds itself in a familiar position – No. 1 in The Associated%^$Press preseason college football poll.%^$
For the fifth time since 1988, coach Bobby Bowden’s Seminoles enter the%^$season as favorites to win the national championship. This year’s title game is%^$at the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans on Jan. 4.%^$
“It’s tough enough to win a national championship, but to be preseason No.%^$1 makes it doubly tough,” Bowden said. “We did it in ’93, but never before or%^$after.”%^$
Tennessee, the defending champs who knocked off Florida State in the Fiesta%^$Bowl to complete a 13-0 season, is right behind at No. 2 in the poll.%^$
Florida State, which won its only national title in 1993, also was a%^$preseason No. 1 in 1988, ’91, ’93 and ’95. The Seminoles have not started a%^$season ranked lower than fifth in the AP preseason poll since ’88.%^$
“I don’t think I’m letting the cat out of the bag by saying winning a%^$national title is our goal this year and every year,” Bowden said. “Let’s get%^$it on!”%^$
Penn State is third, and Arizona fourth, but that should change in a hurry%^$after the teams meet in the Pigskin Classic on Aug. 28 in State College, Pa.%^$The Seminoles open the season the same day against Louisiana Tech.%^$
Florida State received 48 first-place votes and 1,720 points from the 70%^$sports writers and broadcasters on the AP panel.%^$
Tennessee had 15 first-place votes and 1,643 points, with No. 3 Penn State%^$collecting four first-place votes and 1,582 points and No. 4 Arizona one%^$first-place vote and 1,537 points.%^$
Florida is No. 5 with one first-place vote and 1,361 points.%^$
Rounding out the Top 10 is No. 6 Nebraska, No. 7 Texas A&M, No. 8 Michigan,%^$No. 9 Ohio State and No. 10 Wisconsin.%^$
Georgia Tech is No. 11, followed by No. 12 Miami, No. 13 Virginia Tech (one%^$first-place vote), No. 14 Georgia, No. 15 Colorado, No. 16 UCLA, No. 17 Texas,%^$No. 18 Notre Dame, No. 19 Southern California and Alabama and Kansas State are%^$tied at No. 20.%^$
Arkansas is No. 22, followed by No. 23 Purdue, No. 24 Virginia and No. 25%^$Arizona State.%^$
The top five teams in the USA Today/ESPN coaches’ poll are identical to%^$those in the AP poll.%^$
Florida schools have been ranked No. 1 in the AP preseason poll seven times%^$in the 1990s. Miami was No. 1 in 1990 and ’92, and Florida was No. 1 in ’94.%^$
Four of the Top 10 teams are from the Big Ten Conference – Penn State,%^$Michigan, Ohio State and Wisconsin. The Southeastern, Big Ten and Big 12%^$conferences each have five teams in the Top 25.%^$
Teams that finished in last year’s final Top 25 but did not make the ‘99%^$preseason poll are: Tulane (No. 7 in ’98), Air Force (No. 13), Missouri (No.%^$21), and Syracuse (No. 25).%^$
Since 1950, eight teams were ranked No. 1 in the preseason and went on to%^$win the national title: Tennessee (1951), Michigan State (1952), Oklahoma%^$(1956, 1974, 1975, 1985), Alabama (1978), and Florida State (1993).%^$
No team has gone wire-to-wire ranked No. 1, but two teams – Nebraska in 1983%^$and Florida State in 1993 – came close.%^$
The ’83 Cornhuskers went 12-0 before losing to Miami 31-30 in the Orange%^$Bowl. The ’93 Seminoles were No. 1 for most of the season, lost to Notre Dame%^$but beat Nebraska in the Orange Bowl to claim the title.%^$
The Bowl Championship Series, in its second season, will match the No. 1 and%^$No. 2 teams in the Sugar Bowl based on standings compiled from the AP media%^$poll and USA Today/ESPN coaches’ poll, eight computer rankings,%^$strength-of-schedule and won-loss record.%^$
The final AP poll will be released Jan. 5.%^$ %^$
%^$
AP Preseason Top 25
%^$By The Associated Press%^$
The Top Twenty Five teams in The Associated Press preseason college football%^$poll, with first-place votes in parentheses, 1998 records, total points based%^$on 25 points for a first place vote through one point for a 25th place vote and%^$ranking in the 1998 final poll:%^$
%^$ Record Pts Pv %^$ 1. Florida St. (48) 11-2 1,720 3 %^$ 2. Tennessee (15) 13-0 1,643 1 %^$ 3. Penn St. (4) 9-3 1,582 17 %^$ 4. Arizona (1) 12-1 1,537 4 %^$ 5. Florida (1) 10-2 1,361 5 %^$ 6. Nebraska 9-4 1,327 19 %^$ 7. Texas A&M 11-3 1,314 11 %^$ 8. Michigan 10-3 1,292 12 %^$ 9. Ohio St. 11-1 1,160 2 %^$10. Wisconsin 11-1 1,091 6 %^$11. Georgia Tech 10-2 979 9 %^$12. Miami 9-3 928 20 %^$13. Virginia Tech (1) 9-3 896 23 %^$14. Georgia 9-3 829 14 %^$15. Colorado 8-4 636 – %^$16. UCLA 10-2 587 8 %^$17. Texas 9-3 487 15 %^$18. Notre Dame 9-3 463 22 %^$19. Southern Cal 8-5 455 – %^$20. Alabama 7-5 445 – %^$tie. Kansas St. 11-2 445 10 %^$22. Arkansas 9-3 441 16 %^$23. Purdue 9-4 370 24 %^$24. Virginia 9-3 222 18 %^$25. Arizona St. 5-6 108 – %^$
Others receiving votes: BYU 93, Marshall 75, Mississippi St. 72, Michigan%^$St. 34, Air Force 25, Mississippi 23, Syracuse 23, Louisville 20, Wyoming 15,%^$LSU 13, Oklahoma St. 9, Missouri 7, North Carolina 6, Oregon 6, Southern Miss.%^$2, Washington 2, Miami, Ohio 1, N.C. State 1, TCU 1, Texas Tech 1, Utah 1,%^$Western Michigan 1, West Virginia 1.%^$
%^$
AP Poll Board
%^$By The Associated Press%^$
List of voters in the 1999 Associated Press college football poll:%^$
John Adams, Knoxville (Tenn.) News-Sentinel, Nate Allen, Morning News of%^$Northwest Arkansas, Andy Bagnato, Chicago Tribune, Lee Barfknecht, Omaha (Neb.)%^$World-Herald, Tony Barnhart, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Sammy Batten,%^$Fayetteville (N.C.) Observer-Times, Steve Batterson, Quad City (Iowa) Times,%^$Bill Benner, Indianapolis Star, Mac Bentley, Daily Oklahoman, Joe Biddle,%^$Nashville Tennessean.%^$
Todd Blackledge, ABC, Mark Blaudschun, Boston Globe, Kirk Bohls, Austin%^$(Texas) American-Statesman, Paola Boivin, Arizona Republic, Andy Boogaard,%^$Fresno (Calif.) Bee, Meri-Jo Borzilleri, Colorado Springs Gazette, Jimmy Burch,%^$Fort Worth (Texas) Star-Telegram, Frank Burlison, Orange County (Calif.)%^$Register, Ron Christ, Harrisburg (Pa.) Patriot, John Clay, Lexington (Ky.)%^$Herald-Leader.%^$
Jim Cnockaert, Ann Arbor (Mich.) News, Bill Coats, St. Louis Post-Dispatch,%^$Chuck Cooperstein, WBAP Radio, Irving, Texas, Mark Craig, Minneapolis%^$Star-Tribune, Jake Curtis, San Francisco Chronicle, Barker Davis, Washington%^$Times, Stephen Dodge, Idaho Statesman, Jack Ebling, Lansing State (Mich.)%^$Journal, Chris Errington, Clarksburg (W.Va.) Exponent and Telegram, Chris%^$Fowler, ESPN.%^$
Jeff Gravley, WRAL-TV, Raleigh, N.C., Tim Griffin, San Antonio Express-News,%^$Ron Gullberg, Casper (Wyo.) Star-Tribune, Eric Hansen, South Bend (Ind.)%^$Tribune, Craig Harper, Boulder (Colo.) Daily Camera, Chris Harry, Orlando%^$(Fla.) Sentinel, Andrew Hartsock, Lawrence (Kan.) Journal-World, Brooks Hatch,%^$Corvallis (Ore.) Gazette-Times, Joseph Hawk, Las Vegas Review-Journal, Bruce%^$Hooley, Cleveland Plain Dealer.%^$
Mike Knobler, The Clarion-Ledger, Jackson, Miss., Bill Kwon, Honolulu%^$Star-Bulletin, George Lehner, WTVN-AM, Columbus, Ohio, Paul Letlow, The%^$News-Star of Monroe, La., Gary Long, Miami Herald, Tom Luicci, The Star-Ledger,%^$Newark, N.J., Ivan Maisel, Sports Illustrated, Grant Martin, Anniston (Ala.)%^$Star, Neal McCready, Mobile (Ala.) Register, Andrew Miller, The Post and%^$Courier, Charleston, S.C.%^$
Brad Moore, Albuquerque (N.M.) Tribune, Dave Moormann, The Town Talk of%^$Alexandria, La., Jack Moss, Kalamazoo (Mich.) Gazette, Tom Mulhern, Wisconsin%^$State Journal, Dan O’Kane, Tulsa (Okla.) World, Ralph Paulk, Akron (Ohio)%^$Beacon Journal, Gene Phelps, NorthEast Mississippi Daily Journal, Steve%^$Phillips, High Point (N.C.) Enterprise, Scott Rabalais, The Advocate of Baton%^$Rouge, La., Dave Rahme, Syracuse (N.Y.) Post-Standard.%^$
John Sleeper, Everett (Wash.) Herald, Bob Smizik, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette,%^$Mike Sorensen, Deseret News, Salt Lake City, Mark Tupper, Decatur (Ill.) Herald%^$& Review, Tad Walch, Provo (Utah) Daily Herald, Dick Weiss, New York Daily%^$News, Jeff White, Richmond (Va.) Times-Dispatch, Jerry Wizig, Houston%^$Chronicle, Scott Wolf, Los Angeles Daily News, Dave Woolford, The Toledo (Ohio)%^$Blade.%^$
%^$
College FB Poll Glance
%^$By The Associated Press%^$
FOUNDER – Alan J. Gould, sports editor of The AssociatedPress.%^$ FIRST POLL – Oct. 19, 1936.%^$ FIRST PRESEASON POLL -1950.%^$ FIRST YEAR OF PANEL VOTING – 1960.%^$ VOTERS – Collegefootball writers and broadcasters whose publications, TV%^$andradio stations are members of The AP.%^$ POINTS – A first-placevote is worth 25 points, a second-place vote is worth%^$24, etc.%^$SCHOOLS ELIGIBLE – All NCAA Division I-A teams (114 teams for1999). Teams%^$on NCAA probation are eligible for ranking.%^$VOTING BREAKDOWN – By state. (1 or 2 schools – 1 voter, 3 or 4schools – 2%^$voters, 5 or 6 schools – 3 voters, 7 or 8 schools – 4voters, 9 or 10 schools -%^$5 voters)%^$ PRESEASON TIDBITS – Of the50 previous preseason No. 1 teams, only eight%^$have won thenational championship. The last team was Florida State in 1993…%^$Only six of the last 50 national champions were unranked inthe preseason poll.%^$The last team was Brigham Young in 1984 …Twenty-one teams have been ranked%^$No. 1 in the preseason poll.Florida State is No. 1 for the fifth time.%^$Oklahoma has been No.1 eight times.%^$
%^$
AP Preseason No. 1
%^$By The Associated Press%^$
The No. 1 ranked team in the annual Associated Press preseason college%^$football poll. The preseason poll was started in 1950 (x-denotes eventual%^$national champion):%^$
%^$ 1950-Notre Dame%^$ 1951-Tennessee-x%^$ 1952-Michigan State-x%^$ 1953-Notre Dame%^$ 1954-Notre Dame%^$ 1955-UCLA%^$ 1956-Oklahoma-x%^$ 1957-Oklahoma%^$ 1958-Ohio State%^$ 1959-Louisiana State%^$ 1960-Syracuse%^$ 1961-Iowa%^$ 1962-Ohio State%^$ 1963-Southern Cal%^$ 1964-Mississippi%^$ 1965-Nebraska%^$ 1966-Alabama%^$ 1967-Notre Dame%^$ 1968-Purdue%^$ 1969-Ohio State%^$ 1970-Ohio State%^$ 1971-Notre Dame%^$ 1972-Nebraska%^$ 1973-Southern Cal%^$ 1974-Oklahoma-x%^$ 1975-Oklahoma-x%^$ 1976-Nebraska%^$ 1977-Oklahoma%^$ 1978-Alabama-x%^$ 1979-Southern Cal%^$ 1980-Ohio State%^$ 1981-Michigan%^$ 1982-Pittsburgh%^$ 1983-Nebraska%^$ 1984-Auburn%^$ 1985-Oklahoma-x%^$ 1986-Oklahoma%^$ 1987-Oklahoma%^$ 1988-Florida State%^$ 1989-Michigan%^$ 1990-Miami%^$ 1991-Florida State%^$ 1992-Miami%^$ 1993-Florida State-x%^$ 1994-Florida%^$ 1995-Florida State%^$ 1996-Nebraska%^$ 1997-Penn State%^$ 1998-Ohio State%^$ 1999-Florida State%^$ %^$
%^$ %^$Year Two of the BCS Adds New Wrinkles
%^$The BCS standings are determined through four factors.%^$
%^$
By The Associated Press%^$
Year Two of the Bowl Championship Series will bring a few new wrinkles to%^$the process of selecting the teams to play in its national championship game.%^$
The BCS made a mostly successful debut last season, with Tennessee beating%^$Florida State in the Fiesta Bowl and becoming the unanimous choice as the%^$national champion.%^$
This time, the BCS modified its guidelines for selecting teams by adding%^$five new computer ratings and toughened eligibility standards for its four bowl%^$games. Also, a process is now in place that could strip weaker conferences of%^$automatic bids, a move aimed at the Big East.%^$
The BCS standings are determined through four factors: a combined ranking in%^$The Associated Press media poll and USA Today/ESPN coaches’ poll, computer%^$surveys, strength of schedule, and won-loss record.%^$
The series will again use the computer ratings of Jeff Sagarin, The New York%^$Times and the Seattle Times. But it also will consider Richard Billingsley,%^$Dunkel Index, Kenneth Massey, David Rothman and Matthews-Scripps Howard. A%^$school’s lowest ranking from the eight computer services will be thrown out.%^$
Champions from the Big East, Big Ten, Big 12, SEC, Atlantic Coast and Pac-10%^$conferences receive automatic bids to the BCS, which also includes two at-large%^$teams.%^$
The 1-2 teams in the BCS standings are matched in a national title game that%^$rotates among the Rose, Sugar, Orange and Fiesta bowls. Using a regional%^$format, the other three bowls select the remaining conference champions and%^$at-large teams.%^$
The 2000 title game will be held Jan. 4 at the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans.%^$
Last season, teams were eligible for at-large berths with either eight%^$victories or by finishing no lower than 12th in the BCS standings. Now, teams%^$must have nine regular-season wins over Division I-A opponents and at least a%^$No. 12 ranking.%^$
Also, each of the six BCS leagues must show it is worthy of that status. If%^$a conference’s automatic qualifiers failed to average at least a No. 12 BCS%^$rating over a four-year period, it could be stripped of the bid.%^$
Last season, Big East champion Syracuse (8-4) was 15th in the BCS standings%^$and was routed by Florida 31-10 in the Orange Bowl.%^$
One of the misconceptions of the BCS involved Kansas State, which ended up%^$in the Alamo Bowl after losing only one game – the Big 12 championship – and%^$finishing third in the final BCS standings. The feeling was that K-State, which%^$lost to Purdue in the Alamo Bowl, deserved to play in a BCS game.%^$
“We still feel the bowls, after you get past the 1-2 game, need to have%^$some regional flexibility,” BCS chairman Roy Kramer said. “You can’t take two%^$West Coast teams and play in Miami. You’ve got to have regional ties to make%^$the bowls succeed.”%^$
The first BCS standings will be released Oct. 25.%^$ %^$
