Hurricanes Maintain Lead In ESPN/USA Today Football Rankings
Oct. 21, 2001
ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA (TICKER) – After a Saturday during which six of the top 25 teams in the nation went down to defeat, the top of the USA Today/ESPN coaches’ football poll remained unchanged.
Top-ranked Miami (5-0), Oklahoma (7-0), Nebraska (8-0) and Virginia Tech (6-0) held steady in their respective positions. It is the second straight weeek that the aforementioned teams have been ranked in that order.
The Hurricanes received 47 first-place votes and a total of 1,481 points and hold a 37-point lead on the defending national champion Sooners (7-0), who garnered the final 13 first-place votes.
However, there is a new No. 5, UCLA (6-0), which moved up one notch after a 56-17 rout of California.
The Bruins took the place of Pac-10 Conference rival Oregon (6-1), which suffered a 49-42 home loss to Stanford and tumbled eight spots to 13th. The Ducks had won 23 straight at Autzen Stadium.
Completing the top 10 is sixth-ranked Florida (5-1), Texas (6-1), Michigan (5-1) — all three moved up one spot — Tennessee (4-1) and Brigham Young (7-0), up three places after trouncing Air Force, 63-33.
Stanford’s big victory over Oregon propelled it into the poll at No. 22. The Cardinal (4-1) are joined in the rankings by fellow newcomers Illinois (6-1) and Texas A&M (6-1), which are ranked 23rd and 24th, respectively.
Dropping from the poll were Colorado, Northwestern and Toledo.
Washington (5-1) is ranked 11th and is followed by Maryland (7-0). At No. 14 is South Carolina (6-1) and unbeaten Washington State (7-0) is 15th.
Rounding out the nation’s elite are 16th-ranked Georgia (5-1), Auburn (6-1), Florida State (4-2), Fresno State (6-1), Purdue (4-1), Georgia Tech (5-2) and 25th-ranked Clemson (4-2).
The USA TODAY/ESPN Coaches Top 25 college football coaches’poll, with number of first-place votes and record inparentheses, total points and previous ranking:
(Records through October 21, 2001)
TEAM PTS PVS —- — — 1. Miami Fla (47) (5-0) 1,481 1 2. Oklahoma (13) (7-0) 1,444 2 3. Nebraska (8-0) 1,385 3 4. Virginia Tech (6-0) 1,298 4 5. UCLA (6-0) 1,277 6 6. Florida (5-1) 1,155 7 7. Texas (6-1) 1,136 8 8. Michigan (5-1) 1,077 9 9. Tennessee (4-1) 948 1110. BYU (7-0) 856 1311. Washington (5-1) 846 1212. Maryland (7-0) 843 1413. Oregon (6-1) 793 514. South Carolina (6-1) 708 1615. Washington St (7-0) 620 1816. Georgia (5-1) 598 1917. Auburn (6-1) 499 2118. Florida St (4-2) 403 2219. Fresno St (6-1) 373 1020. Purdue (4-1) 290 2421. Georgia Tech (5-2) 267 2522. Stanford (4-1) 255 NR23. Illinois (6-1) 244 NR24. Texas A&M (6-1) 202 NR25. Clemson (4-2) 90 15
Dropped Out: No. 17 Colorado, No. 20 Northwestern, No. 23Toledo
Others Receiving Votes: Colorado 87, North Carolina 66, LSU58, Syracuse 45, Louisville 30, Marshall 25, Iowa St 20,Michigan St 19, Northwestern 19, Mississippi 15, Oregon St8, Utah 8, Ohio St 5, Toledo 4, Boston College 2, Arkansas1.
