July 30, 2004

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - The ESPN/USA Today Preseason Coaches' Poll was announced earlier this morning and the University of Maryland was ranked 20th in that initial poll. The ranking in this year's coaches' poll marks the third consecutive season that Maryland finds itself ranked in the preseason.

The top of the polls look strikingly similar to the end of last season as 2003 Co-National Champ Southern California sits atop this year's rankings with Oklahoma -- last year's No. 3 -- and fellow '03 co-champ LSU just behind.

The Terrapins -- who finished 2003 ranked 17th in the Associated Press and 20th in the ESPN/USA Today poll -- finished last season 10-3 (6-2 ACC) and are one of just five BCS schools in the country to have won as many as 10 games in each of the past three seasons (Miami (Fla.), Oklahoma, Texas and Washington State the others).

Maryland was ranked 13th in last year's initial poll and 20th heading into the 2002 campaign.

Notably, the 2004 edition of the Atlantic Coast Conference features five teams ranked in the preseason ESPN/USA Today poll - No. 5 Miami, No. 6 Florida State, No. 16 Clemson, and No. 19 Virginia join the 20th-ranked Terps. The first Top 25 opponent on the Terrapins schedule is No. 11 West Virginia, Maryland's opponent in January's Gator Bowl.

Below is this year's preseason ESPN/USA Today Coaches' Poll as well as a list of the coaches participating this season:

2004 ESPN/USA Today Preseason Poll

   Team (1st-place votes)      '03 Record     Pts     '03 ranking
1. Southern California (44)     12-1          1,500    2
2. Oklahoma (12)                12-2          1,426    3
3. LSU (5)                      13-1          1,387    1
4. Georgia                      11-3          1,328    6
5. Miami (Fla.)                 11-2          1,246    5
6. Florida State                10-3          1,177    10
7. Michigan                     10-3          1,128    7
8. Texas                        10-3          1,087    11
9. Ohio State                   11-2          1,030    4
10. Florida                     8-5           691      25
11. West Virginia               8-5           684      NR
12. Iowa                        10-3          642      8
13. Kansas State                11-4          639      13
14. Tennessee                   10-3          598      16
15. California                  8-6           566      NR
16. Clemson                     9-4           503      22
17. Missouri                    8-5           502      NR
18. Auburn                      8-5           473      NR
19. Virginia                    8-5           453      NR
20. Maryland                    10-3          443      20
21. Utah                        10-2          438      21
22. Wisconsin                   7-6           248      NR
23. Minnesota                   10-3          187      17
    Purdue                      9-4           187      19
25. Oregon                      8-5           175      NR

Also receiving votes

Nebraska (10-3) 151; Oregon State (8-5) 101; Boise State (13-1) 99;
Washington State (10-3) 86; North Carolina State (8-5) 84; Louisville (9-4) 78;
Virginia Tech (8-5) 62; TCU (11-2) 50; Oklahoma State (8-5) 41; Toledo (8-4) 33;
Memphis (9-4) 27; Georgia Tech (7-6) 25; Notre Dame (5-7) 25; Bowling Green (11-3) 22;
Brigham Young (4-8) 21; Miami (Ohio) (13-1) 21; Fresno State (9-5) 17; Michigan
State (8-5) 16; Pittsburgh (8-5) 14; Marshall (8-4) 13; Alabama (4-9) 12; Arkansas (9-4) 12;
Boston College (8-5) 10; Northern Illinois (10-2) 10; San Diego State (6-6) 8;
Colorado State (7-6) 7; Mississippi (10-3) 7; UCLA (6-7) 7; Texas Tech (8-5) 6;
Hawaii (9-5) 5; Texas A&M (4-8) 5; Southern Mississippi (9-4) 4; Penn State (3-9) 2;
 Air Force (7-5) 1; Arizona (2-10) 1; Arizona State (5-7) 1; Connecticut (9-3) 1;
New Mexico (8-5) 1; Washington (6-6) 1.