AP Ranks Boise State No. 5 in Preseason Poll
8/20/2011 12:00:00 AM | Football
BOISE, Idaho - The Associated Press top-25 preseason poll has been released and Boise State University will start the 2011 season at the No. 5 position in the media poll.
This is the second highest preseason ranking in school history. Last year the Broncos began the season at No. 3 in the AP poll.
This is also the second straight season Boise State has received first place votes in the preseason poll. The Broncos were picked No. 1 by two national media members and received a total of 1,200 points in the preseason poll. Last year Boise State received one first place vote and 1,336 points in the preseason poll.
The No. 5 ranking puts Boise State in the Mountain West record books for the highest-ever preseason ranking by a MW team since the league's inception. TCU entered the 2010 season at No. 6.
Earlier this month Boise State was picked seventh in the USA Today Coaches Preseason Poll, marking the second straight year the Broncos have been listed in the top-10 of both major polls.
Just like the coaches' poll, the top four preseason picks were the same in the AP poll. Oklahoma comes in at No. 1 with 36 first place votes and 1,464 points, followed by Alabama, Oregon and LSU.
Florida State and Stanford were picked ahead of the Broncos in the coaches' poll at the No. 5 and 6 spots, respectively. But in the media poll Boise State was picked ahead of the Seminoles and Cardinal.
Two schools on Boise State's 2011 schedule were also ranked in the AP preseason poll. MW member TCU came in at No. 14 with 690 points, while Georgia is No. 19 with 369 points.
The Broncos open the season against the Bulldogs in Atlanta in the Georgia Dome on Sept. 3 (Saturday) in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game. ESPN will broadcast the game live starting at 8:00 p.m. (ET). Boise State will host TCU at Bronco Stadium on Nov. 11 (Saturday).
Following is the complete 2011 Associated Press top-25 preseason poll:
Rank Team (First-Place Votes) Points
1. Oklahoma (36) 1,464
2. Alabama (17) 1,439
3. Oregon (4) 1,330
4. LSU (1) 1,286
5. Boise State (2) 1,200
6. Florida State 1,168
7. Stanford 1,091
8. Texas A&M 965
9. Oklahoma State 955
10. Nebraska 910
11. Wisconsin 900
12. South Carolina 848
13. Virginia Tech 821
14. TCU 690
15. Arkansas 686
16. Notre Dame 530
17. Michigan State 519
18. Ohio State 443
19. Georgia 369
20. Mississippi State 361
21. Missouri 258
22. Florida 228
23. Auburn 219
24. West Virginia 207
25. USC 160
Others receiving votes: Texas 114; Penn State 75; Arizona State 67; Miami (Fla.) 32; Utah 25; Southern Miss. 20; Iowa 19; North Carolina State 15; BYU 15; Air Force 14; Houston 13; Pittsburgh 9; Michigan 7; Tennessee 5; UCF 5; Northern Illinois 4; Hawai'i 4; Tulsa 3; Maryland 2; Arizona 2; Northwestern 1; Nevada 1; Washington 1
