Today, the USA Today Coaches Poll was released, and the USC Trojans found themselves in their usual position, the top ten. Coming in just behind behind Florida, Texas and Oklahoma, the Trojans were ranked fourth with one first place vote. However, Pete Carroll’s bunch were not only the only Pac-10 team to be ranked in the top twenty-five, as Cal (12th), Oregon (14th), and Oregon State (25th), also made the cut. Two more of USC’s 2009 opponents were included on the exclusive list with Ohio State coming in at number 6 and Notre Dame coming in at number 23. Here’s the official list: 

1. Florida (53)
2. Texas (4)
3. Oklahoma (1)
4. USC (1)
5. Alabama
6. Ohio State
7. Virginia Tech
8. Penn State
9. LSU
10. Mississippi
11. Oklahoma State
12. California
13. Georgia
14. Oregon
15. Georgia Tech
16. Boise State
17. TCU
18. Utah
19. Florida State
20. North Carolina
21. Iowa
22. Nebraska
23. Notre Dame
24. Bringham Young
25. Oregon State

Some Thoughts

• The top 3 is really no surprise at all, as Florida, Texas, and Oklahoma, were arguably the three top teams from a year ago and they all return a Heisman-caliber quarterbacks in Tim Tebow, Colt McCoy, and Sam Bradford. 
• It’s safe to say that the coaches have given a vote of confidence to Aaron Corp and Matt Barkley. Even with a somewhat uncertain quarterback situation, the Trojans managed to land in the top 5 yet again. 
• There are several teams out there, who are probably ranked higher than they should be, such as, Ohio State (which lost many of its 2009 starters to the NFL), Cal (which has an inconsistent quarterback in Kevin O’Riley and gapping holes on the offensive line), Georgia (which lost both Matt Stafford and Knowshown Moreno to the pros), Florida State (which hasn’t been relevant in college football since they had 40 year-old Chris Weinke lining up under center), and Notre Dame (which hasn’t defeated a marquee foe since…uh…1988?). 
• On the flip side, there are definitely some teams, who are probably underrated such as, Oklahoma State (which has arguably the Big XII’s best QB-WR tandem in Zac Robinson and Dez Bryant), Georgia Tech (which one nearly ten games in year one under Paul Johnson), BYU (which has every key game at a neutral site or in Provo, where they have been virtually unbeatable), and Oregon State (which has consistently met expectations under Mike Riley). 
• One of the most surprising things was that UCLA, after finishing with a 4-8 record a year ago, actually got 14 votes in this year’s poll. It tends to suggest that expectations have been raised in Westwood and that many are expecting big things from Rick Neuheisel and company in 2009. In fact, the Bruins finished with more votes than Tennessee (2), who they will actually be facing in Knoxville on September 12th. I doubt Las Vegas will have the Bruins as the favorites in that one. 

Related posts

• Winning Ugly (and Controversially): USC 28 UCLA 7 (5)
• Trojan Huddle Answers Some Questions, Leaves Others (0)
• Trojan Football: “It’s Only About Us” (0)
• 2009 USC Football Position Preview – Quarterback (0)
• Was Pete Carroll Scared Away From USC? Rick Neuheisel Thinks So… (0)