Jan 6, 2014; Pasadena, CA, USA; Florida State Seminoles head coach Jimbo Fisher (left) walks past quarterback Jameis Winston (right) at a press conference after the 2014 BCS National Championship game against the Auburn Tigers at the Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
The Florida State Seminoles ended last season as the number one team in college football and they will start there again this season.
The defending champions were named No.1 in the Amway Coaches Poll earning 56 of 62 first-place votes and 1,543 points.
"“We’re very excited about being No. 1 and happy to be No. 1, but we understand that we have to play like No. 1 and play great football,” Fisher told USA TODAY Sports. “That’s going to be our objective. We’re proud to start there and now we just have to go play great football … there is no added pressure. Our goal every year is to win the national championship. That’s why we’re at Florida State.”"
The remaining top five is Alabama, Oklahoma, Oregon and Auburn, the team FSU defeated 34-31 in the last years title game. Oklahoma had three of the other six first-place votes, while Oregon, Ohio State and South Carolina had one each.
Neither Florida, UCF, or USF were ranked.
Florida received 122 votes while UCF had 106. Unsurprisingly, USF had zero.
For the first time since 1991 when USA Today Sports took over the poll, Florida, who were 4-8 last season, is not in the preseason coaches poll for the first time.
UCF were the highest ranked team outside of the traditional big 5 conferences and it could be argued they should be ranked after winning last seasons Tostitos Fiesta Bowl.
The complete top 25 is as follows:
1. Florida State
2. Alabama
3. Oklahoma
4. Oregon
5. Auburn
6. Ohio State
7. UCLA
8. Michigan State
9. South Carolina
10. Baylor
11. Stanford
12. Georgia
13. LSU
14. Wisconsin
15. USC
16. Clemson
17. Notre Dame
18. Arizona State
19. Ole Miss
20. Texas A&M
21. Kansas State
22. Nebraska
23. North Carolina
24. Texas
25. Washington