Hurricanes Ranked 6th In Coaches' Poll
Aug. 11, 2000
CORAL GABLES, Fla. (www.hurricanesports.com) – The University of Miami football team is ranked sixth in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches’ preseason football poll for the 2000 season release Thursday, August 10. The ranking is the highest for Miami in the Coaches’ preseason poll since the Hurricanes were ranked fifth to start the 1993 season.
Nebraska begins the season atop the poll, ahead of defending national champion Florida State. The second-ranked Seminoles visit UM at the Orange Bowl on October 7. Alabama ranks third in the national survey of coaches with Michigan ranking fourth and Wisconsin fifth. Florida ranks seventh in the poll, marking the fifth time in the last 10 years that UM, FSU and UF have begun the season together in the top 10.
“It’s always satisfying to be highly thought of by your peers and this indicates that coaches have a high opinion of our football team,” said head coach Butch Davis. “Of course, we have to earn our reputation on the field. We have a great group of veteran players returning, guys who know that rankings are nice but you have to earn your victories. We’ll have to work hard to maintain our place among the nation’s best.”
The top 10 ranking marks the first such preseason ranking for UM since 1994. The Hurricanes will begin the season ranked among the top 10 for the fifth time in 10 seasons.
Miami will face three schools in the coaches’ preseason top 25 rankings. In addition to No. 2 FSU, the Hurricanes will visit No. 14 Washington on September 9 and host No. 10 Virginia Tech November 4 at the Orange Bowl. The Hurricanes begin the 2000 season Thursday, August 31, against McNeese State at the Orange Bowl. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m.
For ticket information for Hurricanes football, contact the UM Ticket Office at (305) 284-2263 or 1-800-GO-CANES. Tickets may also be ordered online at www.hurricanesports.com.
The USA TODAY/ESPN Coaches Top 25 college football coaches’ poll, with number of first-place votes and last season’s record parentheses, total points and previous ranking:
TEAM (first-place votes) (1999 record)
1. Nebraska (36) (12-1)
2. Florida St (21) (12-0)
3. Alabama (1) (10-3)
4. Michigan (10-2)
5. Wisconsin (1) (10-2)
6. Miami (9-4)
7. Florida (9-4)
8. Texas (9-5)
9. Kansas St (11-1)
10. Virginia Tech (11-1)
11. Georgia (8-4)
12. Tennessee (9-3)
13. Purdue (7-5)
14. Washington (8-4)
15. Ohio St (6-6)
16. USC (6-6)
17. Penn St (10-3)
18. Mississippi (8-4)
19. Clemson (6-6)
20. Oklahoma (7-5)
21. Illinois (8-4)
22. Michigan St (10-2)
23. TCU (8-4)
24. Texas A&M (8-4)
25. Southern Mississippi (9-3)
Others Receiving Votes: Colorado 164, Mississippi St 116, UCLA 69, Arkansas 55, Minnesota 54, Oregon 52, Georgia Tech 48, East Carolina 41, Marshall 38, Utah 32, Syracuse 31, BYU 28, Virginia 24, Colorado St 21, Notre Dame 14, Stanford 12, Oregon St 7, Vanderbilt 7, Boston College 3, San Diego St 3, Arizona 2, Fresno St 2, Hawaii 2, Arizona St 1, Duke 1, Idaho 1, Toledo 1.
