Hand the 'Dawgs another Preseason No. 1 Ranking. This time the honor comes via the Southern Fans' College Football Poll.
The Georgia Bulldogs, the runner-up in last year's poll, received 13 of 28 first place votes. UGA returns 16 starters from a team that finished the season 11-2 with a blowout victory of previously undefeated Hawai'i in the Sugar Bowl. Quarterback Matthew Stafford and Running Back Knowshon Moreno are already receiving Heisman consideration. But everything has not been smooth this off-season for the top-ranked Bulldogs; the team has been plagued by suspensions - with five players out for this week's opener against Georgia Southern - and lost starting Offensive Tackle Trinton Sturdivant.
USC, with only two first place votes, will hold the number two position, followed by Oklahoma (3), Ohio State (4), and Florida (5). The Buckeyes, which closed last season with another national championship game loss to an SEC team, is ranked lower in the Southern Fans' poll than in any other national preseason poll.
LSU who was named the poll's 2007 National Champion, received the remaining first place vote, and holds the No. 6 ranking. The Tigers are followed by Missouri, West Virginia, Clemson and Auburn. Clemson faces off in, perhaps, opening weekend's most anticipated contest, when the Tigers face off against Alabama and Nick Saban in the Georgia Dome in Atlanta.
Texas, which is one of four Big XII teams ranked in the poll, comes in at No. 11, followed by Wisconsin, Texas Tech, Virginia Tech, Arizona State and Tennessee. The Volunteers are the fifth SEC team in the poll.
I find it interesting that Ohio St. pulled the most first place votes of any non-southern team but ended up fourth overall. I had them as 1(b) just behind the Dawgs. There is no reason that team should have got Jenkins and Laurinitis, both potentially top ten talents, back. This could easily be their year if UGA slips up.
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