Aug. 1, 2013

The South Carolina Gamecocks are the seventh-best team in the country, according to the preseason USA TODAY Sports Top 25 preseason football coaches poll, announced today. It is the highest preseason ranking in school history, bettering last year’s No. 9 preseason ranking.

The Gamecocks garnered 1,136 points to rank between Texas A&M (1,215) and Clemson (1,047) in the coaches’ poll. Alabama is the preseason favorite with 1,545 points and 58 of the 62 first-place votes. Ohio State is second with 1,427 points and three first-place votes. Two Pac-12 teams, Oregon and Stanford, hold the No. 3 and 4 positions, just ahead of three SEC squads, Georgia, Texas A&M and South Carolina. Florida comes in at No. 10, giving the SEC five schools among the nation’s top 10.

The Gamecocks finished the 2012 season with an 11-2 record for the second-straight year. They were ranked seventh in the final Coaches’ poll, their highest finish in school history.

The Gamecocks will begin fall practice on Friday, August 2, at 7:15 p.m. The first game is scheduled for Thursday, August 29 against the North Carolina Tar Heels.

Rank School (record) Points

1. Alabama (13-1) 1545

2. Ohio State (12-0) 1427

3. Oregon (12-1) 1397

4. Stanford (12-2) 1262

5. Georgia (12-2) 1250

6. Texas A&M (11-2) 1215

7. South Carolina (11-2) 1136

8. Clemson (11-2) 1047

9. Louisville (11-2) 1010

10. Florida (11-2) 930

11. Notre Dame (12-1) 872

12. Florida State (12-2) 844

13. LSU (10-3) 797

14. Oklahoma State (8-5) 726

15. Texas (9-4) 622

16. Oklahoma (10-3) 620

17. Michigan (8-5) 589

18. Nebraska (10-4) 426

19. Boise State (11-2) 420

20. TCU (7-6) 400

21. UCLA (9-5) 202

22. Northwestern (10-3) 186

23. Wisconsin (8-6) 172

24. Southern California (7-6) 165

25. Oregon State (9-4) 135

Others receiving votes: Kansas State (11-2) 113; Miami (Fla.) (7-5) 101; Michigan State (7-6) 89; Baylor (8-5) 80; Virginia Tech (7-6) 65; Fresno State (9-4) 62; Arizona State (8-5) 51; Mississippi (7-6) 32; Vanderbilt (9-4) 29; Utah State (11-2) 23; Brigham Young (8-5) 20; North Carolina (8-4) 19; Northern Illinois (12-2) 19; Tulsa (11-3) 9; Ohio (9-4) 8; San Jose State (11-2) 8; Arizona (8-5) 5; Cincinnati (10-3) 3; East Carolina (8-5) 3; Kent State (11-3) 3; Mississippi State (8-5) 3; Washington (7-6) 3; Central Florida (10-4) 2; Arkansas (4-8) 1; Arkansas State (10-3) 1; Rutgers (9-4) 1; Tennessee (5-7) 1; Toledo (9-4) 1.