Gamecocks Ranked Ninth in Associated Press Preseason Poll

Aug. 17, 2014

The University of South Carolina football team enters the 2014 season ranked ninth in the Associated Press preseason poll, released today. The Gamecocks were also ranked ninth in the preseason USA Today Coaches poll, released earlier this month. Carolina finished the 2013 season ranked fourth in both major polls.

The Gamecocks, coming off three straight 11-2 campaigns, received 1,015 points to place ninth. Florida State garnered 57 of the 60 first place votes and sits atop the poll with 1,496 points, just ahead of Alabama (1,361), Oregon (1,334) and Oklahoma (1,324), all of which received one first place vote. Ohio State (1,207) rounds out the top 5.

Auburn (1,198), UCLA (1,106), Michigan State (1,080) are ranked sixth thru eighth, just ahead of the Gamecocks, with Baylor (966) rounding out the top 10.

The Gamecocks are slated to play five teams that open the season in the top 25 including Auburn (6), Georgia (12), Clemson (16), Texas A&M (21) and Missouri (24).

This marks the 65th-consecutive poll in which the Gamecocks have been ranked among the nation’s top-25, extending their school record. They are tied with Stanford for the fifth-longest current streak in the country, trailing only Alabama (99), LSU (82), Oregon (78) and Oklahoma (66).

This marks the first time in school history that the Gamecocks have been ranked in the AP preseason top 25 (or top 12) in four straight seasons. Only five schools – Alabama, Oregon, Florida State, South Carolina and LSU – have been in preseason AP Top 12 each of last four years.

Carolina has improved its AP pre-season poll finish in the final rankings in each of last four years:

2013 – Preseason 6 / Final 4

2012 – Preseason 9 / Final 8

2011 – Preseason 12 / Final 9

2010 – Preseason 29 / Final 22

The Gamecocks will put their 18-game home winning streak, the nation’s longest, on the line when they open the 2014 season against Texas A&M on Thursday, August 28. Game time is set for 6 p.m. ET at Williams-Brice Stadium. The game will be the first football game shown on the SEC Network.

AP Top 25

RK TEAM RECORD PTS

1 Florida State (57)
0-0 1496

2 Alabama (1)
0-0 1361

3 Oregon (1)
0-0 1334

4 Oklahoma (1)
0-0 1324

5 Ohio State
0-0 1207

6 Auburn
0-0 1198

7 UCLA
0-0 1106

8 Michigan State
0-0 1080

9 South Carolina
0-0 1015

10 Baylor
0-0 966

11 Stanford
0-0 885

12 Georgia
0-0 843

13 LSU
0-0 776

14 Wisconsin
0-0 637

15 Southern California
0-0 626

16 Clemson
0-0 536

17 Notre Dame
0-0 445

18 Ole Miss
0-0 424

19 Arizona State
0-0 357

20 Kansas State
0-0 242

21 Texas A&M
0-0 238

22 Nebraska
0-0 226

23 North Carolina
0-0 194

24 Missouri
0-0 134

25 Washington
0-0 130

Others receiving votes: UCF 94, Florida 87, Texas 86, Duke 71, Iowa 68, Louisville 48, Marshall 41, Oklahoma State 37, Virginia Tech 26, TCU 23, Mississippi State 22, Michigan 19, Texas Tech 19, Miami (FL) 16, Cincinnati 15, Boise State 10, Oregon State 10, Northwestern 8, BYU 8, Penn State 5, Vanderbilt 2, Navy 2, Nevada 1, Louisiana-Lafayette 1, Utah State 1