TAMPA, Fla — While the Sunshine State continues to produce some of the most elite talent in college football, only two schools in the state cracked the preseason AP Top 25.
Florida State was ranked 10th in the opening AP Top 25. The Seminoles are replacing a lot of talent on both sides of the ball but hit the transfer portal hard to find immediate help.
The Noles finished last season with a 13-1 record, but the one loss was a complete mauling at the hands of the Georgia Bulldogs in the Orange Bowl, 63-3. FSU was without most key starters for the game and it wasn't representative of their overall season.
The other Florida team cracking the Top 25 was the Miami Hurricanes. The Canes finished last season with a 7-6 record, including a terrible loss to Georgia Tech and losing four of their last five games, including the Pinstripe Bowl.
The Hurricanes also open the season with a tough road game at the University of Florida. FSU opens with a conference game against Georgia Tech in Dublin, Ireland. Both teams will be on upset watch to start the season.
After the latest round of conference realignment, both schools will also have unique first-time conference matchups. Miami plays at California on October 5, while FSU travels to Dallas to play SMU on September 28.
Full AP Top 25
- Georgia
- Ohio State
- Oregon
- Texas
- Alabama
- Ole Miss
- Notre Dame
- Penn State
- Michigan
- Florida State
- Missouri
- Utah
- LSU
- Clemson
- Tennessee
- Oklahoma
- Oklahoma State
- Kansas State
- Miami
- Texas A&M
- Arizona
- Kansas
- USC
- North Carolina State
- Iowa
A state report says hundreds of frail elderly nursing home residents were stacked side by side, head to toe in a small church with no working air conditioning or refrigerator during Hurricane Helene.
