Welcome back to our ongoing listing of preseason polls for the upcoming college football season. We will maintain this list and add to it every time a new preseason list is released right up through the release of the preseason Associated Press media poll and the USA Today coaches poll.
Each year, it is my mission in life to produce an ongoing consensus preseason top 25 for college football. The premise is simple: We use the published polls on web sites and in magazines as “votes” in our own consensus poll. Teams ranked No. 1 get 25 points and so on down to one point for those ranked 25th.
Today, we add the preseason top 25 polls from Football Action, Street & Smith’s and Phil Steele’s College Football, as published in their preseason annuals.
So far, we have as many as 13 preseason polls. They are Athlon, TSN, CBSSportsLine.com, SI.com, CollegeFootballNews.com, Lindy’s, NationalChamps.net, Scout.com, Football Action, Street & Smith’s, Steele and two polls from ESPN.com (Ivan Maisel and Pat Forde).
And so far, those preseason prognosticators are unanimous in their selection of two-time defending national champion USC as the No. 1 pick. Keep in mind, a third-straight national title for the Trojans would be unprecedented since the inception of the Associated Press poll in 1936. (It does not seem that anybody will have the guts to pick somebody other than USC to win it all?)
A year ago, our final consensus poll contained 14 different polls. USC was the preseason No. 1 on all but three. CBSSportsLine.com and The Sporting News each picked Georgia, while Phil Steele’s College Football picked Oklahoma. Nine of the 14 polls correctly picked the final 1-2 match-up of USC and Oklahoma at the Orange Bowl.
The initial Preseason Consensus Poll was published on May 25. At that point, just 10 voting points separated No. 4 Ohio State from defending co-Big Ten champions Michigan and Iowa. When we updated the poll June 5, the order was the same but only seven voting points separate the conference’s top three teams.
But this update notes several changes: Michigan moves past Ohio State for the fourth overall spot. Oklahoma slides by Iowa to become No. 6. LSU leapfrogs Florida and Virginia Tech to become No. 8.
Using this poll as a guide, USC would be tops in the Pac-10, Texas would edge Oklahoma in the Big 12, Tennessee would win the SEC over LSU, Michigan would nip OSU in the Big Ten, Virginia Tech would edge out Miami (Fla.) in the ACC and Louisville would be tops in the Big East.
The WAC would be a battle between Fresno State and Boise State. Bowling Green and Miami (Ohio) would be the class of the MAC and Wyoming and Utah would be tops in the Mountain West.
Looking at possible bowl match-ups, you might see: Rose (USC-Texas), Sugar (Tennessee-Ohio State), Fiesta (Michigan-Oklahoma), Orange (Virginia Tech-Louisville), Capital One (Iowa-LSU rematch) and Outback (Purdue-Florida).
If you see a published poll that we are missing, please send a link or the list to bucknuts@bucknuts.com
Here is a look at the updated Preseason Consensus Poll on June 14:
Preseason Consensus Poll
(First-Place votes; last year’s record in parentheses)
1. USC (13; 13-0) 325 points
2. Texas (11-1) 295 points
3. Tennessee (10-3) 267 points
4. Michigan (9-3) 255 points
5. Ohio State (8-4) 245 points
6. Oklahoma (12-1) 244 points
7. Iowa (10-2) 235 points
8. LSU (9-3) 233 points
9. Virginia Tech (10-3) 230 points
9. Florida (7-5) 230 points
11. Miami (Fla.) (9-3) 218 points
12. Louisville (11-1) 179 points
13. Florida State (9-3) 165 points
14. Georgia (10-2) 162 points
15. Auburn (13-0) 125 points
16. Purdue (7-5) 122 points
17. Texas A&M (7-5) 94 points
18. Fresno State (9-3) 84 points
19. Arizona State (9-3) 75 points
19. Boise State (11-1) 75 points
21. Cal (10-2) 49 points
22. Texas Tech (8-4) 46 points
23. Pittsburgh (8-4) 37 points
24. Boston College (9-3) 35 points
25. Georgia Tech (7-5) 29 points
26. Alabama (6-6) 26 points
27. Bowling Green (9-3) 22 points
28. Oregon (5-6) 16 points
28. Virginia (8-4) 16 points
30. Wisconsin (9-3) 12 points
31. Nebraska (5-6) 10 points
31. N.C. State (5-6) 10 points
33. Penn State (4-7) 8 points
33. Minnesota (7-5) 8 points
35. Wyoming (7-5) 6 points
35. Iowa State (7-5) 6 points
37. Colorado (8-5) 4 points
38. Utah (12-0) 3 points
38. Miami (Ohio) (8-5) 3 points
40. UCLA (6-6) 2 points
40. UTEP (8-4) 2 points
Athlon Sports
1. USC
2. Tennessee
3. Iowa
4. Oklahoma
5. Florida State
6. Texas
7. Michigan
8. Louisville
9. LSU
10. Virginia Tech
11. Miami (Fla.)
12. Ohio State
13. Florida
14. Georgia
15. Purdue
16. Alabama
17. Boston College
18. Boise State
19. Arizona State
20. Auburn
21. Texas Tech
22. Virginia
23. Pittsburgh
24. UTEP
25. Georgia Tech
The Sporting News
1. USC
2. Tennessee
3. Ohio State
4. Virginia Tech
5. Texas
6. LSU
7. Miami (Fla.)
8. Michigan
9. Oklahoma
10. Iowa
11. Florida
12. Florida State
13. Georgia
14. Texas A&M
15. Cal
16. Auburn
17. Purdue
18. Georgia Tech
19. Louisville
20. Boise State
21. Bowling Green
22. Iowa State
23. Virginia
24. Arizona State
25. Utah
ESPN.com (Ivan Maisel)
1. USC
2. Texas
3. Michigan
4. Iowa
5. Florida
6. Virginia Tech
7. Auburn
8. Miami (Fla.)
9. Oklahoma
10. Tennessee
11. Ohio State
12. Louisville
13. Texas A&M
14. Florida State
15. Georgia
16. Nebraska
17. Arizona State
18. LSU
19. Boise State
20. Wisconsin
21. Cal
22. Wyoming
23. Alabama
24. Georgia Tech
25. Bowling Green
ESPN.com (Pat Forde)
1. USC
2. Michigan
3. Texas
4. Tennessee
5. Iowa
6. Oklahoma
7. Ohio State
8. Florida
9. Miami (Fla.)
10. Louisville
11. LSU
12. Florida State
13. Virginia Tech
14. Georgia
15. Boise State
16. Texas Tech
17. Auburn
18. Texas A&M
19. Fresno State
20. Arizona State
21. Bowling Green
22. Cal
23. Pittsburgh
24. Iowa State
25. Wyoming
Scout.com
1. USC
2. Texas
3. Ohio State
4. Tennessee
5. Oklahoma
6. Michigan
7. LSU
8. Florida
9. Iowa
10. Miami (Fla.)
11. Virginia Tech
12. Louisville
13. Florida State
14. Georgia
15. Arizona State
16. Texas A&M
17. Texas Tech
18. Fresno State
19. Auburn
20. Wisconsin
21. Boston College
22. Purdue
23. Pittsburgh
24. Alabama
25. Cal
CBSSportsLine.com
1. USC
2. Iowa
3. Tennessee
4. Texas
5. Ohio State
6. Virginia Tech
7. Oklahoma
8. Florida
9. Michigan
10. Louisville
11. LSU
12. Miami (Fla.)
13. Georgia
14. Florida State
15. Fresno State
16. Arizona State
17. Pittsburgh
18. Texas A&M
19. Purdue
20. Boston College
21. Auburn
22. Texas Tech
23. Boise State
24. Colorado
25. Utah
Collegefootballnews.com
1. USC
2. Tennessee
3. Iowa
4. Ohio State
5. Virginia Tech
6. Texas
7. Miami (Fla.)
8. LSU
9. Florida
10. Oklahoma
11. Arizona State
12. Georgia
13. Michigan
14. Purdue
15. Florida State
16. Georgia Tech
17. Boston College
18. Auburn
19. Minnesota
20. Alabama
21. Texas A&M
22. Texas Tech
23. Fresno State
24. Louisville
25. Cal
NationalChamps.net
1. USC
2. Texas
3. LSU
4. Tennessee
5. Oklahoma
6. Michigan
7. Ohio State
8. Virginia Tech
9. Miami (Fla.)
10. Auburn
11. Iowa
12. Florida
13. Georgia
14. Boise State
15. Louisville
16. Florida State
17. Fresno State
18. Texas A&M
19. Purdue
20. Cal
21. Arizona State
22. Virginia
23. Pittsburgh
24. Colorado
25. Minnesota
Lindy’s
1. USC
2. Texas
3. Michigan
4. Florida
5. Oklahoma
6. Tennessee
7. Ohio State
8. Florida State
9. LSU
10. Virginia Tech
11. Louisville
12. Miami (Fla.)
13. Purdue
14. Georgia
15. Iowa
16. Texas A&M
17. Auburn
18. Oregon
19. Pittsburgh
20. Boston College
21. Texas Tech
22. Alabama
23. Fresno State
24. UCLA
25. Penn State
SI.com
1. USC
2. Texas
3. Tennessee
4. Ohio State
5. Florida
6. Virginia Tech
7. LSU
8. Iowa
9. Miami (Fla.)
10. Michigan
11. Oklahoma
12. Louisville
13. Auburn
14. Georgia
15. Fresno State
16. Arizona State
17. Boise State
18. Florida State
19. Purdue
20. Texas Tech
21. Pittsburgh
22. Cal
23. Bowling Green
24. Georgia Tech
25. Wyoming
Street & Smith’s
1. USC
2. Texas
3. Tennessee
4. Oklahoma
5. Michigan
6. LSU
7. Virginia Tech
8. Miami (Fla.)
9. Florida
10. Purdue
11. Georgia
12. Ohio State
13. Iowa
14. Auburn
15. Louisville
16. Boise State
17. Texas A&M
18. Florida State
19. Fresno State
20. Cal
21. Virginia
22. Oregon
23. Pittsburgh
24. Texas Tech
25. Utah
Phil Steele’s College Football
1. USC
2. LSU
3. Purdue
4. Louisville
5. Texas
6. Miami (Fla.)
7. Michigan
8. Oklahoma
9. Ohio State
10. Georgia
11. Florida
12. Virginia Tech
13. Florida State
14. Iowa
15. Tennessee
16. N.C. State
17. Auburn
18. Texas A&M
19. Penn State
20. Cal
21. Texas Tech
22. Oregon
23. Miami (Ohio)
24. Fresno State
25. Alabama
Football Action
1. USC
2. Texas
3. Tennessee
4. Michigan
5. Florida
6. Iowa
7. Louisville
8. LSU
9. Ohio State
10. Virginia Tech
11. Oklahoma
12. Miami (Fla.)
13. Purdue
14. Fresno State
15. Florida State
16. Arizona State
17. Boise State
18. Bowling Green
19. Georgia
20. Georgia Tech
21. Texas Tech
22. Cal
23. Texas A&M
24. Auburn
25. Pittsburgh