The Hurricanes are No. 1 in the ESPN.COM/USA Today Preseason Poll!
Aug. 1, 2002
Coral Gables, FLA – (www.hurricanesports.com) – The defending national champion University of Miami football team is ranked first in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches’ preseason football poll for the 2002 season, released today. The ranking marks the first time Miami has entered the season atop the coaches’ preseason poll since the Hurricanes were ranked number one to start the 1990 season.
Miami received 34 of 61 possible first-place votes and edged second-ranked Texas (nine first-place votes) by 45 points in the voting. Third-ranked Oklahoma, the 2000 national champion, had 11 first-place votes and 1,397 points overall. Three of Miami’s 2002 opponents are in the top seven – No. 4 Florida State (seven first-place votes), No. 5 Tennessee and No. 7 Florida. This is the seventh time in the last 12 years that UM, FSU and UF have begun the season together in the top 10.
Miami, which enters the season riding a 22-game winning streak, faces No. 7 Florida in Gainesville on September 7 (5 p.m. ET, CBS-TV), hosts No. 4 Florida State on October 12 in the Orange Bowl (12 p.m. ET, ABC-TV), and visits No. 5 Tennessee on November 9 (time to be announced).
“We appreciate the respect for our program and the returning players shown by the coaches in voting us number one,” said head coach Larry Coker. “It is a tremendous challenge to repeat as national champions, especially in light of our strong Big East schedule and having Florida State, Florida and Tennessee among our non-conference opponents. This is a great honor but it is only a start … it is much more important where you are ranked in the last poll than in the first.”
The top 10 ranking marks the third such preseason ranking for UM since 1994 as the Hurricanes were ranked sixth to begin the 2000 season and second in 2001’s preseason coaches’ poll. The Hurricanes will begin the season ranked among the top 10 for the seventh time in 12 seasons.
Miami will face four schools in the coaches’ preseason top 25 rankings. In addition to the aforementioned games with No. 4 FSU, No. 5 Tennessee and No. 7 Florida, the Hurricanes will host No. 16 Virginia Tech at the Orange Bowl on December 1. The Hurricanes begin the 2002 season Saturday, August 31, against Florida A&M at the Orange Bowl. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.
For ticket information Hurricane 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.
2002 ESPN/USA Today
Preseason Football Coaches’ Poll
The preseason USA TODAY/ESPN Top 25 football poll, with first-place votes in parentheses, team’s record last season, total points based on 25 points for first place through one point for 25th, and final ranking last season:
| No. | Team (1st Place Votes) | ’01 Rec | Pts. | ’01 Rank |
| 1. | Miami (Fla.) (34) | 12-0 | 1,444 | 1 |
| 2. | Texas (9) | 11-2 | 1,399 | 5 |
| 3. | Oklahoma (11) | 11-2 | 1,397 | 6 |
| 4. | Florida State (7) | 8-4 | 1,357 | 15 |
| 5. | Tennessee | 11-2 | 1,255 | 4 |
| 6. | Colorado | 10-3 | 1,010 | 9 |
| 7. | Florida | 10-2 | 972 | 3 |
| 8. | Nebraska | 11-2 | 951 | 7 |
| 9. | Washington | 8-4 | 914 | 19 |
| 10. | Michigan | 8-4 | 894 | 20 |
| 11. | Georgia | 8-4 | 858 | 25 |
| 12. | Ohio State | 7-5 | 761 | NR |
| 13. | LSU | 10-3 | 749 | 8 |
| 14. | Washington State | 10-2 | 748 | 11 |
| 15. | Oregon | 11-1 | 663 | 2 |
| 16. | Virginia Tech | 8-4 | 550 | 18 |
| 17. | Louisville | 11-2 | 378 | 16 |
| 18. | Michigan State | 7-5 | 371 | NR |
| 19. | Southern California | 6-6 | 349 | NR |
| 20. | Maryland | 10-2 | 315 | 10 |
| 21. | Marshall | 11-2 | 280 | 21 |
| 22. | South Carolina | 9-3 | 213 | 13 |
| 23. | Wisconsin | 5-7 | 210 | NR |
| 24. | Penn State | 5-6 | 206 | NR |
| 25. | NC State | 7-5 | 174 | NR |
| OTHERS RECEIVING VOTES: Texas A&M 158; Auburn 150; UCLA 114; Kansas State 110; Boston College 85; Brigham Young 84; Georgia Tech 70; Syracuse 66; Illinois 55; Oregon State 54; Clemson 46; Purdue 45; Utah 44; Fresno State 42; Mississippi 41; Arkansas 40; Colorado State 39; Southern Mississippi 23; Iowa State 22; Stanford 21; Notre Dame 18; Hawaii 14; Arizona 12; Iowa 11; Texas Tech 11; Boise State 7; Pittsburgh 7; North Carolina 4; Toledo 4; Virginia 3; Minnesota 2; West Virginia 2; Louisiana Tech 1; UNLV 1; Wake Forest 1. | ||||
