USC clear No. 1 in preseason coaches' poll
Trojans ranked ahead of SEC powers LSU, defending national champ Florida
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TERRIFIC TROJANS Since 2002, USC has finished in the top 4 in every final AP poll. No other school has finished in the top 12 every year. In fact, USC, Ohio St., Oklahoma and Texas are the only schools to end each of the last seven seasons in the Top 25. |
| Season | AP | Coaches |
| 2008 | 3 | 2 |
| 2007 | 3 | 2 |
| 2006 | 4 | 4 |
| 2005 | 2 | 2 |
| 2004 | 1 | 1 |
| 2003 | 1 | 2 |
| 2002 | 4 | 4 |
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Southern California’s wealth of talent has not gone unnoticed.
The Trojans were easily named the No. 1 team in the preseason coaches'/USA Today college football poll on Friday, receiving 45 of the 60 first-place votes.
USC, which had an 11-2 campaign end with a victory over Michigan in the Rose Bowl, received 1,481 points, more than 100 ahead of No. 2 Louisiana State (1,372).
The Trojans return starting quarterback John David Booty to go along with a stellar defense that includes tackle Sedrick Ellis, end Lawrence Jackson and linebacker Keith Rivers.
USC, likely most teams in the nation, start the season on Sept. 1. The Trojans are a roughly 45-point favorite over Idaho.
The Tigers, who wrapped an 11-2 season with a 41-14 rout of Notre Dame at the Sugar Bowl last season, was awarded four first-place votes.
Defending national champion Florida is third with nine first-place votes and 1,278 points. Texas is fourth with 1,231 points, followed by Michigan, which received the final two first-place votes and 1,218 points.
West Virginia is sixth, ahead of Wisconsin, Oklahoma, Virginia Tech and national runner-up Ohio State.
Louisville, which finished off a 12-1 campaign with a victory in the Orange Bowl, is 11th, followed by California, Georgia and Auburn.
Tennessee is 15th, Rutgers 16th and UCLA, which was not ranked in last season’s final poll, is 17th.
Penn State is 18th, ahead of Nebraska, Arkansas, Florida State, TCU, Boise State and Hawaii.
Texas A&M rounds out the poll.
Notre Dame was not ranked in the top 25.
The Associated Press Top 25 poll will be released later in the month.
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