travisduncan
Gator Fan
The USA TODAY Preseason Coaches Poll was released on Thursday. College Football preseason polls are usually an odd mixture of recruiting class expectations combined with last year's results.
I won't be the only person who believes Florida State's No. 5 ranking in the poll is a bit much for a team that went 10-4 in 2010 and lost its starting QB Christian Ponder to the NFL.
The Gators get a favorable ranking as well.
For a team that was not ranked at the finish of the 2010 season to come in at No. 23 in the preseason poll is not bad and says a lot about what other coaches think about Will Muschamp.
The No. 23 ranking is very generous, considering that many pundits, including the SEC media, do not think Muschamp and the boys can even finish in the top 2 in their division....
2011 College Football Preseason Coaches' Poll
1 Oklahoma (42) 0-0 1454
2 Alabama (13) 0-0 1414
3 Oregon (2) 0-0 1309
4 LSU (2) 0-0 1296
5 Florida State 0-0 1116
6 Stanford 0-0 1101
7 Boise State 0-0 1065
8 Oklahoma State 0-0 933
9 Texas A&M 0-0 885
10 Wisconsin 0-0 829
11 Nebraska 0-0 814
12 South Carolina 0-0 779
13 Virginia Tech 0-0 767
14 Arkansas 0-0 750
15 TCU 0-0 687
16 Ohio State 0-0 631
17 Michigan State 0-0 536
18 Notre Dame 0-0 440
19 Auburn 0-0 329
20 Mississippi State 0-0 301
21 Missouri 0-0 266
22 Georgia 0-0 260
23 Florida 0-0 240
24 Texas 0-0 162
25 Penn State 0-0 161
Others receiving votes: Arizona State 158, West Virginia 149, Utah 50, Miami (FL) 49, Iowa 41, Northwestern 30, Arizona 28, UCF 22, Michigan 19, Air Force 15, North Carolina 14, Houston 13, South Florida 9, Hawaii 8, Clemson 7, Tennessee 7, Southern Miss 6, Brigham Young 5, North Carolina State 4, NORTHERNIL 4, Oregon State 4, Pittsburgh 3, Washington 3, Nevada 1, Georgia Tech 1
-Incoming freshman cornerback De'Ante Saunders were arrested for misdemeanor marijuana possession in May according to a Palm Beach Post report on Thursday.
This is Saunders' first offense from what we know, so it is a little bit different than Janoris Jenkins. Still, Saunders must have handled his meeting with Coach Muschamp better than Jenkins did, because Saunders is still on the team. A UF spokesperson said the matter had already been handled though the news broke only Thursday.
But the headlines are, "Another Gator arrested". The reputation still exists.
The difference between the Gators arrests of 2010 and 2011? The coaches. Urban Meyer took it personally when the media chastised the program as a heaven for potheads, whereas Muschamp puts the responsibility on the players soley and hasn't uttered a peep about the situation.
Of course Muschamp is enjoying the insulation of the summer away from the media, but once the season is in full-tilt, then he'll see the media several times the week. So an arrest in the summer means less in terms of headaches than it does if it happens during the season.
-The Gators have added their 16th verbal commitment for the 2012 recruiting class.
On Wednesday linebacker Antonio Morrison out of Boilingbrook high in Boilingbrook Illinois announced his intention to play for the Gators in 2012.
Morris is a 4-star recruit who stands at 6-foot-3 and 220 lbs. Check out the video below, the kid can squat 600 lbs and he's just the type of attacking linebacker that the Gators have always had in the past and that Muschamp, and for that matter every coach in America wants.
-Practices begin Saturday, so next week we'll have news from those next week. Stay tuned.
I won't be the only person who believes Florida State's No. 5 ranking in the poll is a bit much for a team that went 10-4 in 2010 and lost its starting QB Christian Ponder to the NFL.
The Gators get a favorable ranking as well.
For a team that was not ranked at the finish of the 2010 season to come in at No. 23 in the preseason poll is not bad and says a lot about what other coaches think about Will Muschamp.
The No. 23 ranking is very generous, considering that many pundits, including the SEC media, do not think Muschamp and the boys can even finish in the top 2 in their division....
2011 College Football Preseason Coaches' Poll
1 Oklahoma (42) 0-0 1454
2 Alabama (13) 0-0 1414
3 Oregon (2) 0-0 1309
4 LSU (2) 0-0 1296
5 Florida State 0-0 1116
6 Stanford 0-0 1101
7 Boise State 0-0 1065
8 Oklahoma State 0-0 933
9 Texas A&M 0-0 885
10 Wisconsin 0-0 829
11 Nebraska 0-0 814
12 South Carolina 0-0 779
13 Virginia Tech 0-0 767
14 Arkansas 0-0 750
15 TCU 0-0 687
16 Ohio State 0-0 631
17 Michigan State 0-0 536
18 Notre Dame 0-0 440
19 Auburn 0-0 329
20 Mississippi State 0-0 301
21 Missouri 0-0 266
22 Georgia 0-0 260
23 Florida 0-0 240
24 Texas 0-0 162
25 Penn State 0-0 161
Others receiving votes: Arizona State 158, West Virginia 149, Utah 50, Miami (FL) 49, Iowa 41, Northwestern 30, Arizona 28, UCF 22, Michigan 19, Air Force 15, North Carolina 14, Houston 13, South Florida 9, Hawaii 8, Clemson 7, Tennessee 7, Southern Miss 6, Brigham Young 5, North Carolina State 4, NORTHERNIL 4, Oregon State 4, Pittsburgh 3, Washington 3, Nevada 1, Georgia Tech 1
-Incoming freshman cornerback De'Ante Saunders were arrested for misdemeanor marijuana possession in May according to a Palm Beach Post report on Thursday.
This is Saunders' first offense from what we know, so it is a little bit different than Janoris Jenkins. Still, Saunders must have handled his meeting with Coach Muschamp better than Jenkins did, because Saunders is still on the team. A UF spokesperson said the matter had already been handled though the news broke only Thursday.
But the headlines are, "Another Gator arrested". The reputation still exists.
The difference between the Gators arrests of 2010 and 2011? The coaches. Urban Meyer took it personally when the media chastised the program as a heaven for potheads, whereas Muschamp puts the responsibility on the players soley and hasn't uttered a peep about the situation.
Of course Muschamp is enjoying the insulation of the summer away from the media, but once the season is in full-tilt, then he'll see the media several times the week. So an arrest in the summer means less in terms of headaches than it does if it happens during the season.
-The Gators have added their 16th verbal commitment for the 2012 recruiting class.
On Wednesday linebacker Antonio Morrison out of Boilingbrook high in Boilingbrook Illinois announced his intention to play for the Gators in 2012.
Morris is a 4-star recruit who stands at 6-foot-3 and 220 lbs. Check out the video below, the kid can squat 600 lbs and he's just the type of attacking linebacker that the Gators have always had in the past and that Muschamp, and for that matter every coach in America wants.
-Practices begin Saturday, so next week we'll have news from those next week. Stay tuned.
