USC brushes off sanctions to be No. 1 in AP Top 25

By: Associated Press

Updated: Sat 1:42 PM, Aug 18, 2012

NEW YORK -- Southern California is No. 1 in the AP Top 25 after two years of NCAA sanctions that kept the Trojans out of bowl games.

USC earned the top spot in the preseason college football poll for the seventh time and the first time in five seasons, edging out No. 2 Alabama and No. 3 LSU.

The Tigers were poised to start the season No. 1, but Heisman Trophy finalist Tyrann Mathieu was dismissed from the team last week.

The Trojans received 25 of a possible 60 first-place votes from a media panel in a close vote. Defending national champion Alabama had 17 first-place votes and LSU got 16 first-place votes.

Oklahoma was fourth with a single first-place vote and Oregon was fifth. No. 8 Michigan also received a first-place vote.

AP Top 25 RK TEAM RECORD PTS

1 USC (25) 0-0 1445
2 Alabama (17) 0-0 1411
3 LSU (16) 0-0 1402
4 Oklahoma (1) 0-0 1286
5 Oregon 0-0 1274
6 Georgia 0-0 1107
7 Florida State 0-0 1093
8 Michigan (1) 0-0 1000
9 South Carolina 0-0 994
10 Arkansas 0-0 963
11 West Virginia 0-0 856
12 Wisconsin 0-0 838
13 Michigan State 0-0 742
14 Clemson 0-0 615
15 Texas 0-0 569
16 Virginia Tech 0-0 548
17 Nebraska 0-0 485
18 Ohio State 0-0 474
19 Oklahoma State 0-0 430
20 TCU 0-0 397
21 Stanford 0-0 383
22 Kansas State 0-0 300
23 Florida 0-0 214
24 Boise State 0-0 212
25 Louisville 0-0 105

Others receiving votes: Notre Dame 83, Washington 55, Auburn 53, UNC 32, Utah 30, Georgia Tech 25, Brigham Young 22, Tennessee 15, SOUFLA 11, Baylor 9, Texas A&M 5, UCF 4, Missouri 3, NCSTATE 3, Cincinnati 3, Houston 1, Louisiana Tech 1, Mississippi State 1, Northern Illinois 1

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