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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Rebels Tabbed No. 10 in USA Today Preseason Coaches Poll
8/7/2009 | Football
OXFORD, Miss. -- Ole Miss earned its highest preseason football ranking in nearly 40 years Friday, as the Rebels are No. 10 in the USA Today Preseason Coaches' Top 25.
The last time Ole Miss reached this high in the polls was the 1970 campaign, when the Rebels entered the year at No. 5 and rose as high as No. 4. Prior to the regular-season finale with Mississippi State on Nov. 26, Ole Miss stood at No. 10 and has not returned to that point until today.
The Rebels were last ranked in the preseason in 2000, when they opened the year 18th.
The program's highest preseason ranking came in 1964 with the squad starting the year as the nation's top-ranked team. As defending national champion in various polls, Ole Miss began the 1960 and 1963 seasons second in the polls, and the 1960 team went on to earn the second of Ole Miss' three shared national titles.
The Rebels are the fourth of five SEC teams in the poll, including No. 1 Florida, No. 5 Alabama, No. 9 LSU and No. 13 Georgia. South Carolina, Auburn, Kentucky, Arkansas and Tennessee are all receiving votes.
Ole Miss has been considered among college football's preseason top 10 teams according to most media outlets this summer, and as high as No. 5 by The Sporting News. The Rebels concluded last year ranked No. 14 by the Associated Press and No. 15 by the Coaches after a 9-4 season that included a 47-34 victory over Texas Tech in the AT&T Cotton Bowl.
Ole Miss opens the 2009 campaign Sept. 6 at Memphis and hosts Southeastern Louisiana Sept. 19 in the home-opener. Click here for season tickets or call 662-915-7167 or 1-888-732-8587 for in-state calls.
USA Today Preseason Coaches' Top 25 (08.07.2009)
| No. | Team (2008 Record) | Points | Prev. | 1st Place Votes |
| 1. | Florida (13-1) | 1466 | 1 | 53 |
| 2. | Texas (12-1) | 1386 | 3 | 4 |
| 3. | Oklahoma (12-2) | 1358 | 5 | 1 |
| 4. | Southern Cal. (12-1) | 1321 | 2 | 1 |
| 5. | Alabama (12-2) | 1134 | 6 | 0 |
| 6. | Ohio State (10-3) | 1126 | 11 | 0 |
| 7. | Virginia Tech (10-4) | 1020 | 14 | 0 |
| 8. | Penn State (11-2) | 988 | 8 | 0 |
| 9. | LSU (8-5) | 917 | NR | 0 |
| 10. | Ole Miss (9-4) | 889 | 15 | 0 |
| 11. | Oklahoma State (9-4) | 861 | 18 | 0 |
| 12. | California (9-4) | 711 | 25 | 0 |
| 13. | Georgia (10-3) | 707 | 10 | 0 |
| 14. | Oregon (10-3) | 694 | 9 | 0 |
| 15. | Georgia Tech (9-4) | 559 | 22 | 0 |
| 16. | Boise State (12-1) | 542 | 13 | 0 |
| 17. | TCU (11-2) | 461 | 7 | 0 |
| 18. | Utah (13-0) | 404 | 4 | 0 |
| 19. | Florida State (9-4) | 371 | 23 | 0 |
| 20. | North Carolina (8-5) | 293 | NR | 0 |
| 21. | Iowa (9-4) | 257 | 20 | 0 |
| 22. | Nebraska (9-4) | 236 | NR | 0 |
| 23. | Notre Dame (7-6) | 194 | NR | 0 |
| 24. | Brigham Young (10-3) | 178 | 21 | 0 |
| 25. | Oregon State (9-4) | 165 | 19 | 0 |
Others (SEC Only): South Carolina (7-6) 18; Auburn (5-7) 12; Kentucky (7-6) 9; Arkansas (5-7) 6; Tennessee (5-7) 2.
