July 31, 2003

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - The ESPN/USA Today Preseason Coaches' Poll was announced earlier today and the University of Maryland was ranked 13th in that initial poll. The preseason ranking in this year's coaches' poll is the Terrapins' highest since USA Today took over the poll from UPI in 1991.

Oklahoma narrowly nudged defending national champion Ohio State for the top spot as the Sooners were awarded 29 first-place votes compared to the Buckeyes' 28. As it turns out, the top three spots of this year's preseason poll features each of the last three national champions (Oklahoma in 2000, Miami in 2001, Ohio State in 2002).

The Terrapins -- who finished last season ranked 13th in both the ESPN/USA Today and Associated Press polls -- finished last season 11-3 (6-2 ACC) and are one of just five schools in the country to have won as many as 10 games in each of the past two seasons (Miami (Fla.), Oklahoma, Texas and Marshall the others).

Notably, schools that will comprise the ACC next year (after expansion) occupy six of the top 17 spots in the preseason ESPN/USA Today poll - No. 3 Miami, No. 10 Virginia Tech, No. 12 Florida State, No. 13 Maryland, No. 14 N.C. State and No. 17 Virginia.

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

Rank	Team (first-place votes)	2002 Record	Pts.	2002 Rank
1.	Oklahoma (29)	12-2	1,514	5
2.	Ohio State (28)	14-0	1,495	1
3.	Miami (Fla.) (5)	12-1	1,448	2
4.	Texas	11-2	1,291	7
5.	Kansas State	11-2	1,165	6
6.	Auburn (1)	9-4	1,153	16
7.	Michigan	10-3	1,110	9
8.	Southern California	11-2	1,075	4
9.	Georgia	13-1	1,030	3
10.	Virginia Tech	10-4	932	14
11.	Pittsburgh	9-4	712	18
12.	Florida State	9-5	711	23
13.	Maryland	11-3	704	13
14.	NC State	11-3	682	11
15.	LSU	8-5	662	NR
16.	Tennessee	8-5	658	NR
17.	Virginia	9-5	526	25
18.	Notre Dame	10-3	515	17
19.	Washington	7-6	459	NR
20.	Wisconsin	8-6	348	NR
21.	Florida	8-5	312	24
22.	Purdue	7-6	305	NR
23.	Arizona State	8-6	297	NR
24.	Oklahoma State	8-5	159	NR
25T.	Colorado State	10-4	143	NR
25T.	Penn State	9-4	143	15

Also receiving votes:
Iowa 132; Colorado 127; TCU 95; Texas A&M 90; Oregon State 70; Nebraska 64; UCLA 40; West Virginia 31; Hawaii 24; Boise State 22; Brigham Young 22; Fresno State 22; Minnesota 22; Boston College 21; Arkansas 16; Washington State 16; Mississippi 14; Clemson 13; Missouri 12; Oregon 12; Marshall 11; Georgia Tech 9; New Mexico 9; Southern Mississippi 9; Utah 7; South Carolina 4; Air Force 3; Louisville 3; California 2; Illinois 1; North Texas 1; Syracuse 1; Toledo 1.

The USA TODAY/ESPN Board of Coaches is made up of 63 head coaches at Division I-A institutions. All are members of the American Football Coaches Association. This season's board: Barry Alvarez, Wisconsin; Chuck Amato, North Carolina State; Tom Amstutz, Toledo; Gary Barnett, Colorado; Frank Beamer, Virginia Tech; Mike Bellotti, Oregon; Jack Bicknell, Louisiana Tech; Bobby Bowden, Florida State; Tommy Bowden, Clemson; Jeff Bower, Southern Mississippi; Mack Brown, Texas; Watson Brown, Alabama-Birmingham; Lloyd Carr, Michigan; Larry Coker, Miami (Fla.); Gary Crowton, Brigham Young; David Cutcliffe, Mississippi; Gary Darnell, Western Michigan; Darrell Dickey, North Texas; Bill Doba, Washington State; Randy Edsall, Connecticut; Dennis Franchione, Texas A&M; Ralph Friedgen, Maryland; Phillip Fulmer, Tennessee; Joe Glenn, Wyoming; Jim Grobe, Wake Forest; Al Groh, Virginia; Walt Harris, Pittsburgh; Dan Hawkins, Boise State; Pat Hill, Fresno State; Terry Hoeppner, Miami (Ohio); Lou Holtz, South Carolina; Dirk Koetter, Arizona State; Mike Kruczek, Central Florida; Jim Leavitt, South Florida; Rocky Long, New Mexico; Sonny Lubick, Colorado State; Dan McCarney, Iowa State; Andy McCollum, Middle Tennessee; Glen Mason, Minneosta; Gary Nord, Texas-El Paso; Joe Novak, Northern Illinois; Tom O'Brien, Boston College; Lee Owens, Akron; Joe Paterno, Penn State; Gary Patterson, TCU; Bob Petrino, Louisville; Gary Pinkel, Missouri; Bob Pruett, Marshall; Mike Riley, Oregon State; Steve Roberts, Arkansas State; Rich Rodriguez, West Virginia; Nick Saban, LSU; John L. Smith, Michigan State; Frank Solich, Nebraska; Bob Stoops, Oklahoma; Jeff Tedford, California; Chris Tormey, Nevada; Jim Tressel, Ohio State; Tommy Tuberville, Auburn; Ron Turner, Illinois; Charlie Weatherbie, Louisiana-Monroe; Tyrone Willingham, Notre Dame.

The AFCA prohibits coaches from voting for schools on major NCAA probation, making Alabama ineligible to receive votes.