Two years after being fired by Florida, Ron Zook apparently has no hard feelings about the situation.

Zook, now the coach at Illinois, broke ranks with four other Big Ten coaches in the final regular-season coaches poll and voted for Florida at No. 2 over Michigan.

Florida edged Michigan in the final BCS standings, made up in part by the coaches' poll, to face No. 1 Ohio State in the BCS title game on Jan. 8.

Zook was the only Big Ten coach to vote Florida ahead of conference member Michigan, which played a part in the Gators jumping to second in the BCS standings and making the title game.

He says he has “gotten ripped” for that from some fans in his new conference.

“Believe me, it’s no slight to Michigan at all,” Zook said. “I thought you were supposed to vote the way you feel. One vote wasn’t going to make the difference. A bunch of people turned and flipped and voted Florida ahead of Michigan. For me, it was the fact that they played a 13th game,” a conference title game that Michigan didn’t have to play.

“And obviously,” Zook said, “I did know those kids.”

All seven Southeastern Conference coaches in the poll gave Florida their second-place votes in the results released Monday.

Ohio State coach Jim Tressel abstained from the final voting.

Tressel said he didn’t feel right putting Ohio State in the middle of the decision of who the Buckeyes are supposed to play for the national title.

“I have so much respect for both Michigan and Florida,” he said. “Obviously there are only two teams that had a shot at playing us in the national championship game. I didn’t think it was appropriate that Ohio State would cast a ballot one way or the other. Those are two great teams and we would relish to play either, but I didn’t think it was appropriate for us to participate in something like that.”

Michigan coach Lloyd Carr, a member of the coaches poll, said there was no scenario in which he would choose not to vote. On Tressel’s abstention, Carr said: “I thought it was real slick.”

More news

Dusan Vranic / AP

War vet aims to walk on at Clemson

CFT: Purple Heart honoree Daniel Rodriguez is awaiting clearance to walk on as a football player at Clemson.

CFT: FSU chairman insists no contact with Big 12

Headlines

• Label

CFT: Michigan commit burns Buckeyes literature

CFT: Slain CB's family wants $5 million from UConn

CFT: SEC's Slive no fan of plus-one playoff model

CFT: Ex-PSU prez wants to see Sandusky emails

Sandusky charity to shut down, transfer programs

Ex-QB Brian Johnson still directing Utes offense

CFT: Miami says it's 'committed to the ACC'

CFT: Clemson would listen to other conferences