After spending an entire year out bowl contention due to sanctions from the NCAA, the USC Trojans earned the No. 1 spot in the Associated Press preseason top 25 poll released Saturday, which has the Florida Gators slotted in the bottom fifth of the rankings at No. 23.
USC received 25 of 59 possible first-place votes with Alabama (17), LSU (16), Oklahoma (1) and Oregon rounding out the top five.
Other Southeastern Conference teams ranked in the AP poll this preseason include 2011 SEC East champion Georgia (No. 6), South Carolina (No. 9), and Arkansas (No. 10). UF’s in-state rival Florida State also came in at No. 7. All four teams were also ranked in the same respective spots in the USA Today coaches’ preseason top 25 poll.
Florida began 2011 at No. 22 in the AP poll and No. 23 in the USA Today poll, which is the same ranking UF received this preseason.
The Gators concluded 2011 unranked after finishing 7-6 (3-5 SEC).
Florida is one of five unranked teams to receive recognition in the poll this preseason, joining USC (sanctioned), Texas, Ohio State and Louisville.
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