Gators Remain In Familiar Territory Coaches Pick Florida As College Football’s No. 1

The University of Florida graduated its Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback and lost two splendid underclassmen receivers to the first-round of the NFL draft. So the Gators number must finally be up, right?

Not according to the first major poll of the 1997 college football season. Turns out Florida’s number is the same as it has been since Jan. 3: No. 1.

That’s how the inaugural ESPN/USA Today college coaches poll, which has replaced the USA Today/CNN poll, shook out with the release Thursday of the preseason balloting of its 62 voters. The Gators, who return 12 starters from a team that finished 12-1 and captured a fourth straight Southeastern Conference title, got 19 first-place votes and out-pointed No. 2 Penn State and its nine first-place votes 1,407 to 1,335.

Washington, with 15 first-place votes and 1,311 points, came in at No. 3, followed by No. 4 Florida State (three and 1,298), No. 5 Tennessee and Heisman favorite Peyton Manning (eight, 1,250), No. 6 Nebraska (four, 1,240), No. 7 Colorado (three, 1,153) and No. 8 North Carolina (one, 1,137).

Ohio State and Texas rounded out the top 10.