USA Today Coaches Pre-Season Poll - WAFF-TV: News, Weather and Sports for Huntsville, AL

USA TODAY/ESPN TOP 25 COACHES' POLL — Aug. 2, 2012

  The preseason Top 25 football coaches poll, with team's 2011 records in parentheses, total points based on 25 points for first place through one point for 25th, ranking in the final poll of the 2011 season and first-place votes received:

                                                                                        Final 2011          First-place

  Rank     School (2011 record)             Points                     rank                   votes

  1.           LSU (13-1)                           1403                           2                        18

  2.           Alabama (12-1)                    1399                           1                        20

  3.           Southern California (10-2)    1388                           not ranked          19

  4.           Oklahoma (10-3)                  1276                           15                        1

  5.           Oregon (12-2)                       1258                           4                          0

  6.           Georgia (10-4)                      1061                           20                        0

  7.           Florida State (9-4)                 1055                           23                        1

  8.           Michigan (11-2)                    1023                           9                          0

  9.           South Carolina (11-2)             981                           8                          0

  10.         Arkansas (11-2)                      948                           5                          0

  11.         West Virginia (10-3)               833                           18                        0

  12.         Wisconsin (11-3)                    743                           11                        0

  13.         Michigan State (11-3)             717                           10                        0

  14.         Clemson (10-4)                       598                           22                        0

  15.         Texas (8-5)                             549                           not ranked            0

  16.         Nebraska (9-4)                        501                           24                        0

  17.         TCU (11-2)                             499                           13                        0

  18.         Stanford (11-2)                       497                           7                          0

  19.         Oklahoma State (12-1)            476                           3                          0

  20.         Virginia Tech (11-3)               461                           17                        0

  21.         Kansas State (10-3)                 398                           16                        0

  22.         Boise State (12-1)                   271                           6                          0

  23.         Florida (7-6)                           250                           not ranked            0

  24.         Notre Dame (8-5)                   166                           not ranked            0

  25.         Auburn (8-5)                            66                           not ranked            0

  Others receiving votes (with 2011 records): Washington (7-6) 64; Louisville (7-6) 46; Georgia Tech (8-5) 35; Cincinnati (10-3) 32; Texas A&M (7-6) 28; Baylor (10-3) 23; Utah (8-5) 22; Mississippi State (7-6) 21; South Florida (5-7) 12; N.C. State (8-5) 11; BYU (10-3) 10; Louisiana Tech (8-5) 10; Virginia (8-5) 9; Houston (13-1) 7; Southern Mississippi (12-2) 6; Central Florida (5-7) 5; Rutgers (9-4) 5; Florida International (8-5) 3; Missouri (8-5) 3; Tennessee (5-7) 3; Northern Illinois (11-3) 2; Texas Tech (5-7) 1.

  The USA TODAY Board of Coaches is made up of 59 head coaches at Bowl Subdivision schools. All are members of the American Football Coaches Association. The board for the 2012 season: David Bailiff, Rice; Frank Beamer, Virginia Tech; Tim Beckman, Illinois; Bret Bielema, Wisconsin; Terry Bowden, Akron; Art Briles, Baylor; Troy Calhoun, Air Force; Matt Campbell, Toledo; Gene Chizik, Auburn; Dave Christensen, Wyoming; Mark Dantonio, Michigan State; Tim DeRuyter, Fresno State; Dave Doeren, Northern Illinois; Sonny Dykes, Louisiana Tech; Jimbo Fisher, Florida State; Kyle Flood, Rutgers; James Franklin, Vanderbilt; Al Golden, Miami (Fla.); Jim Grobe, Wake Forest; Darrell Hazell, Kent State; Brady Hoke, Michigan; Dana Holgorsen, West Virginia; Skip Holtz, South Florida; Mark Hudspeth, Louisiana-Lafayette; Curtis Johnson, Tulane; Ellis Johnson, Southern Miss; Butch Jones, Cincinnati; Brian Kelly, Notre Dame; Lane Kiffin, Southern California; Mike Leach, Washington State; Pete Lembo, Ball State; Tony Levine, Houston; Mike London, Virginia; Rocky Long, San Diego State; Dan McCarney, North Texas; Mike MacIntyre, San Jose State; Ruffin McNeill, East Carolina; Gus Malzahn, Arkansas State; Bronco Mendenhall, BYU; Les Miles, LSU; George O'Leary, Central Florida; Paul Pasqualoni, Connecticut; Bo Pelini, Nebraska; Chris Petersen, Boise State; Joker Phillips, Kentucky; Paul Rhoads, Iowa State; Mark Richt, Georgia; Mike Riley, Oregon State; Rich Rodriguez, Arizona; Nick Saban, Alabama; Steve Sarkisian, Washington; Frank Solich, Ohio; Steve Spurrier, South Carolina; Rick Stockstill, Middle Tennessee; Bob Stoops, Oklahoma; Dabo Swinney, Clemson; Jeff Tedford, California; Tommy Tuberville, Texas Tech; Kevin Wilson, Indiana.

AFCA policy bars schools under major NCAA or conference sanctions from receiving votes. Schools affected this season are North Carolina, Ohio State and Penn State. Central Florida will remain eligible until the NCAA rules on the school's appeal.