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| Sunday, December 3 Oklahoma gains seven first-place votes ESPN.com news services | |||
| ARLINGTON, Va. -- Big 12 Conference champion and
Orange Bowl-bound Oklahoma gained seven first-place votes and
finished the regular season atop the ESPN/USA Today coaches'
football poll, which was released Sunday.
The Sooners (12-0), who defeated No. 9 Kansas State (10-3),
27-24, on Saturday night in Kansas City, Missouri, received a
total of 56 first-place votes and 1,471 points from a nationwide
panel of coaches.
Oklahoma now has been ranked first by the coaches for six
consecutive weeks. It began the season at No. 20 and took over
the nation's top spot on Oct. 29. The Sooners will play for
their first national title in 15 years on Jan. 3 in Miami.
Second-ranked Miami (10-1) lost three of its five first-place
votes and trails Oklahoma by 71 points. No. 3 Florida State
(11-1) had four of its five first-place votes taken away and has
1,366 points.
Oklahoma, Miami and Florida State have been ranked first, second
and third, respectively, for five straight weeks.
Washington (10-1), which will play in the Rose Bowl on New
Year's Day, is ranked fourth and is followed by Virginia Tech
(10-1), Oregon State (10-1), Florida (9-2) and Nebraska (9-2).
Notre Dame (9-2) is 10th.
The Huskies opponent in Pasadena will be 14th-ranked Purdue
(8-3), which is heading to the Rose Bowl for the first time
since January 1967. Other Big Ten teams in the poll are No. 15
Michigan (8-3), No. 18 Ohio State (8-3) and No. 19 Northwestern
(8-3).
No. 11 Oregon, Texas and Clemson all had 9-2 regular seasons,
while 16th-ranked Texas Christian's 10-1 campaign earned it a
spot in the Mobile Alabama Bowl, which will be the first
postseason game played on December 20.
Georgia Tech (9-2), which is ranked 17th, will play in the Peach
Bowl.
Rounding out the poll are 20th-ranked Auburn (9-3), Tennessee
(8-3), Colorado State (9-2), Louisville (9-2), Georgia (7-4) and
Toledo (10-1).
| ALSO SEE
ESPN/USA Today coaches' pollAP Top 25: Oklahoma, Miami finish 1-2 Associated Press poll Sooners win Big 12 title, will play for national championship | ||
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