Mizzou opens season No. 24 in AP football poll
Missouri opens the season ranked by The Associated Press for the fifth time in 15 seasons under Gary Pinkel.
The Tigers, coming off an 11-win season and a second straight SEC East division title, are No. 24 in the AP’s preseason top 25, which was released Sunday afternoon.
Reigning national champion Ohio State sits atop the poll after garnering all 61 first-place votes, becoming the first unanimous preseason No. 1 in the history of the nation’s oldest, continuously running poll.
The Associated Press rankings started in 1936, but the preseason poll didn’t debut until 1950. Florida State in 2009 and Alabama in 2013 each received 58 of 60 first-place votes in the preseason, which had been the previous record.
Missouri debuts at No. 24 for the second consecutive season.
Since Pinkel took over in 2001, the Tigers also have opened the season No. 18 in 2004, No. 6 in 2008 and No. 21 in 2011.
Missouri, which has opened the season ranked six other times, has received votes in the preseason poll an additional five times under Pinkel in 2003, 2007, 2009, 2010 and 2012.
Before Pinkel’s arrival, the Tigers hadn’t appeared in the preseason AP poll since 1980.
Three of Missouri’s opponents this season are ranked.
Missouri plays at No. 9 Georgia on Oct. 17, is host to No. 25 Tennessee on Nov. 21 and wraps up the regular season at No. 18 Arkansas on Nov. 27.
Florida, which plays at Memorial Stadium on Oct. 10, Mississippi State, which tussles with the Tigers at Memorial Stadium on ESPN’s Thursday night telecast Nov. 5, and BYU, which meets MU on Nov. 14 at Arrowhead Stadium, also received votes.
Eight SEC teams were ranked, including No. 3 Alabama, No. 6 Auburn, No. 14 LSU and No. 17 Mississippi.
Second-ranked TCU and fourth-ranked Baylor are among three Big 12 teams in the poll along with No. 19 Oklahoma.
Michigan State rounds out the top five with No. 7 Oregon, No. 8 USC and No. 10 Florida State rounding out the top 10.
Three SEC schools, including Texas A&M, received votes in the poll, while four Big 12 teams — Kansas State, Oklahoma State, Texas and West Virginia — also received votes.
Missouri opens the regular season against Southeast Missouri at 3 p.m. Sept. 5 at Memorial Stadium.
Kansas State kicks off its season against South Dakota at 6:10 p.m. Sept. 5 at Bill Snyder Family Stadium in Manhattan, while Kansas debuts under David Beaty against South Dakota State at 11 a.m. Sept. 5 at Memorial Stadium in Lawrence.
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS PRESEASON TOP 25 POLL
Team (First-place votes) | Points | Last season |
1. Ohio State (61) | 1,525 | 14-1 |
2. TCU | 1,428 | 12-1 |
3. Alabama | 1,322 | 12-2 |
4. Baylor | 1,263 | 11-2 |
5. Michigan State | 1,256 | 11-2 |
6. Auburn | 1,192 | 8-5 |
7. Oregon | 1,156 | 13-2 |
8. USC | 1,085 | 9-4 |
9. Georgia | 991 | 10-3 |
10. Florida State | 959 | 13-1 |
11. Notre Dame | 873 | 8-5 |
12. Clemson | 862 | 10-3 |
13. UCLA | 698 | 10-3 |
14. LSU | 675 | 8-5 |
15. Arizona State | 605 | 10-3 |
16. Georgia Tech | 588 | 11-3 |
17. Mississippi | 563 | 9-4 |
18. Arkansas | 410 | 7-6 |
19. Oklahoma | 394 | 8-5 |
20. Wisconsin | 393 | 11-3 |
21. Stanford | 347 | 8-5 |
22. Arizona | 311 | 10-4 |
23. Boise State | 240 | 12-2 |
24. Missouri | 219 | 11-3 |
25. Tennessee | 114 | 7-6 |
Others receiving votes (Points): Mississippi State (100), Texas A&M (61), Oklahoma State (46), Virginia Tech (42), Utah (36), Penn State (20), Louisville (12), Cincinnati (8), Nebraska (6), Kansas State (5), North Carolina State (4), Florida (4), Texas (3), Michigan (2), Northern Illinois (2), BYU (2), West Virginia (1), California (1), Western Kentucky (1).
To reach Tod Palmer, call 816-234-4389 or send email to tpalmer@kcstar.com. Follow him on Twitter @todpalmer.
Rustin Dodd’s ballot
Kansas beat writer Rustin Dodd is voting in the Associated Press poll. Here is his preseason ballot:
1. Ohio State; 2. TCU; 3. Michigan State; 4. Baylor; 5. Oregon; 6. Alabama; 7. Georgia; 8. Auburn; 9. Clemson; 10. Notre Dame; 11. USC; 12. Georgia Tech; 13. Florida State; 14. LSU; 15. Arizona State; 16. UCLA; 17. Mississippi; 18. Arizona; 19. Oklahoma; 20. Oklahoma State; 21. Boise State; 22. Wisconsin; 23. Missouri; 24. Stanford; 25. West Virginia
This story was originally published August 23, 2015 at 3:07 PM with the headline "Mizzou opens season No. 24 in AP football poll."