E.J. Manuel and Florida State begin the season in the top 10 for a second straight year. (Photo: Chris Holder)
The USA Today Coaches Poll was released on Thursday with Florida State falling in at #7. The Seminoles began the season ranked fifth in the Coaches Poll a year ago.
LSU topped the poll followed by defending national champion Alabama. It is the fourth straight year that Alabama begins the season ranked in the top 5. USC was a close third while Oklahoma and Oregon rounded out the top 5.
FSU is one of three ACC teams ranked in the top 25. Defending ACC champion Clemson ranks 14th while Virginia Tech is 20th. Georgia Tech, N.C. State and Virginia all received votes.
The SEC had the most teams in the poll with seven including five in the top 10. Florida State’s arch-rival Florida comes in 23rd while Auburn just makes the poll at #25.
In other news for Florida State, the Seminoles have been picked to win the ACC. Florida State was predicted by the conference to take the crown over projected Coastal Division champ Virginia Tech. The Seminoles and Hokies will meet on Thursday, November 8th in Blacksburg.
Florida State also parted ways with cornerback Greg Reid on Wednesday. Reid was recently arrested with marijuana while driving without a license. Reid has run-ins with the law on prior occasions and was dismissed from the team. Reid would have been a senior and held an outside shot of breaking Deion Sanders’ school-record for total punt return yards. Reid had seven career interceptions and four career touchdowns with three coming by way of punt return in his three years as a Seminole.
Florida State also added a tight end on Wednesday as former Penn State tight end Kevin Haplea transferred to the Seminoles. Haplea will be a junior and had just three catches for 21 yards and a touchdown for the Nittany Lions a year ago. Haplea left Penn State after the team was banned for four years from competing in bowl games following the child sex abuse scandal involving former defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky.
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