USC, Washington lead Pac-12 contingent in preseason Coaches Poll
USC is the only team from the Pac-12 to crack the top 10 in the preseason AFCA Coaches Poll.
Released Monday, the preseason coaches ranking has five schools from the Pac-12 in total. The Trojans are the highest-ranked of the bunch at No. 6. Washington is just outside the top 10, sitting at No. 11. The Huskies are followed by Utah at No. 14, Oregon at No. 15, and Oregon State at No. 18.
Washington ended last season at No. 8 in the Coaches Poll after defeating Texas in the Alamo Bowl. Florida State, Clemson, and USC all finished outside the final top 10 last fall, but all three find themselves in the preseason top 10.
UCLA also closed out last year’s Coaches Poll with a top-25 spot, but the Bruins open the new year unranked. With the graduation of longtime quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson, there are question marks surrounding the Bruins entering 2023.
In total, there are six schools from the SEC in the preseason ranking, five each from the Pac-12 and the Big 12, four from the Big Ten, three from the ACC, one independent (Notre Dame at No. 13), and then one from the American.
The preseason AP Top 25 is expected to release next week. The full AFCA Coaches Poll can be seen below (with first-place votes in parentheses):
- Georgia (61)
- Michigan
- Alabama (4)
- Ohio State (1)
- LSU
- USC
- Penn State
- Florida State
- Clemson
- Tennessee
- Washington
- Texas
- Notre Dame
- Utah
- Oregon
- TCU
- Kansas State
- Oregon State
- Oklahoma
- North Carolina
- Wisconsin
- Ole Miss
- Tulane
- Texas Tech
- Texas A&M
Others receiving votes:
Iowa 169; South Carolina 89; Florida 63; Texas-San Antonio 59; Pittsburgh 52; UCLA 42; Kentucky 34; Baylor 28; Troy 25; Arkansas 20; NC State 19; Fresno State 19; Boise State 18; Auburn 18; Minnesota 16; Miami 16; Mississippi State 13; Oklahoma State 12; Missouri 11; Maryland 10; Southern Methodist 8; South Alabama 8; Illinois 7; Wake Forest 6; Air Force 6; Toledo 5; Washington State 4; Houston 3; Duke 2; Brigham Young 2; Arizona 2; Memphis 1; Kansas 1; James Madison 1.