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The first 2012 USA Today coaches poll was released on Thursday. Only one team from the D.C. area made it into the top 25 rankings and that was the Virginia Tech Hokies who enter ranked at No. 20. The Hokies are coming off a season where they finished 11-3, reaching the Sugar Bowl where they lost to the Michigan Wolverines, 23-20 in overtime.
The Virginia Cavaliers received nine votes in the poll, coming off their first bowl appearance since the 2007-08 season. In the rest of the top 25, the top five spots are held by the LSU Tigers, Alabama Crimson Tide, USC Trojans, Oklahoma Sooner and the Oregon Ducks.
Here is the complete rankings from SBNation.com.
1. LSU (18) 13-1 1,403
2. Alabama (20) 12-1 1,399
3. Southern California (19) 10-2 1,388
4. Oklahoma 10-3 1,276
5. Oregon 12-2 1,258
6. Georgia 10-4 1,061
7. Florida State 9-4 1,055
8. Michigan 11-2 1,023
9. South Carolina 11-2 981
10. Arkansas 11-2 948
11. West Virginia 10-3 833
12. Wisconsin 11-3 743
13. Michigan State 11-3 717
14. Clemson 10-4 598
15. Texas 8-5 549
16. Nebraska 9-4 501
17. TCU 11-2 499
18. Stanford 11-2 497
19. Oklahoma State 12-1 476
20. Virginia Tech 11-3 461
21. Kansas State 10-3 398
22. Boise State 12-1 271
23. Florida 7-6 250
24. Notre Dame 8-5 166
25. Auburn 8-5 66
Others receiving votes (with 2011 records)
Washington (7-6) 64; Louisville (7-6) 46; Georgia Tech (8-5) 35; Cincinnati (10-3) 32; Texas A&M (7-6) 28; Baylor (10-3) 23; Utah (8-5) 22; Mississippi State (7-6) 21; South Florida (5-7) 12; N.C. State (8-5) 11; BYU (10-3) 10; Louisiana Tech (8-5) 10; Virginia (8-5) 9; Houston (13-1) 7; Southern Mississippi (12-2) 6; Central Florida (5-7) 5; Rutgers (9-4) 5; Florida International (8-5) 3; Missouri (8-5) 3; Tennessee (5-7) 3; Northern Illinois (11-3) 2; Texas Tech (5-7) 1.
This is of course only the preseason poll, there will be a lot of changes coming once the football season begins at the start of September. Virginia Tech should have a good chance to improve their standings in the rankings once the season begins.