The USF football team will kick off its season ranked the No. 19 team in the country. The preseason ranking matches the highest Division I ranking in program history.
The Associated Press released its Top 25 Poll on Monday. Alabama is tops in the AP rankings, followed by Ohio State and Florida State. Florida is 17th and Miami is 18th.
USF is coming off an 11-win season and returns star quarterback Quinton Flowers. The Bulls were ranked No. 21 in the preseason Amway Coaches Poll announced earlier in August.
USF’s rankings in the AP and Coaches Polls equal the Bulls’ highest preseason rankings ever in both polls. USF entered the 2008 season ranked No. 19 and 21 in the two polls, respectively.
USF begins the 2017 season on the road at San Jose State on Saturday at 7:30 p.m.
(USF Athletics contributed to this report.)
The Associated Press preseason college football poll (first-place votes in parentheses):
1. Alabama (52)
2. Ohio St. (3)
3. Florida State (4)
4. USC (2)
5. Clemson
6. Penn State
7. Oklahoma
8. Washington
9. Wisconsin
10. Oklahoma State
11. Michigan
12. Auburn
13. LSU
14. Stanford
15. Georgia
16. Louisville
17. Florida
18. Miami
19. USF
20. Kansas State
21. Virginia Tech
22. West Virginia
23. Texas
24. Washington State
25. Tennessee