It’s official. South Carolina is a top 10 team.
The Gamecocks were ranked No. 9 in the Associated Press preseason poll, which was released Saturday, marking the first time they have been in the country’s top 10 to begin a season. The school’s previous high was the No. 12 ranking it was given heading into last season.
Three Southeastern Conference schools (No. 2 Alabama, No. 3 LSU and No. 6 Georgia) were ranked ahead of South Carolina. No. 10 Arkansas gave the SEC five of the nation’s top 10 teams.
The Gamecocks were ranked No. 9 earlier this month in the USA Today coaches poll, but the school uses the AP ranking as it record keeping, meaning Saturday’s news make the status official.
| Record | Pts | Pv | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Southern Cal (25) | 10-2 | 1,445 | 6 |
| 2. Alabama (17) | 12-1 | 1,411 | 1 |
| 3. LSU (16) | 13-1 | 1,402 | 2 |
| 4. Oklahoma (1) | 10-3 | 1,286 | 16 |
| 5. Oregon | 12-2 | 1,274 | 4 |
| 6. Georgia | 10-4 | 1,107 | 19 |
| 7. Florida St. | 9-4 | 1,093 | 23 |
| 8. Michigan (1) | 11-2 | 1,000 | 12 |
| 9. South Carolina | 11-2 | 994 | 9 |
| 10. Arkansas | 11-2 | 963 | 5 |
| 11. West Virginia | 10-3 | 856 | 17 |
| 12. Wisconsin | 11-3 | 838 | 10 |
| 13. Michigan St. | 11-3 | 742 | 11 |
| 14. Clemson | 10-4 | 615 | 22 |
| 15. Texas | 8-5 | 569 | NR |
| 16. Virginia Tech | 11-3 | 548 | 21 |
| 17. Nebraska | 9-4 | 485 | 24 |
| 18. Ohio St. | 6-7 | 474 | NR |
| 19. Oklahoma St. | 12-1 | 430 | 3 |
| 20. TCU | 11-2 | 397 | 14 |
| 21. Stanford | 11-2 | 383 | 7 |
| 22. Kansas St. | 10-3 | 300 | 15 |
| 23. Florida | 7-6 | 214 | NR |
| 24. Boise St. | 12-1 | 212 | 8 |
| 25. Louisville | 7-6 | 105 | NR |
Others receiving votes: Notre Dame 83, Washington 55, Auburn 53, North Carolina 32, Utah 30, Georgia Tech 25, BYU 22, Tennessee 15, South Florida 11, Baylor 9, Texas A&M 5, UCF 4, Cincinnati 3, Missouri 3, N.C. State 3, Houston 1, Louisiana Tech 1, Mississippi St. 1, N. Illinois 1.
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