U-M Ranked 12th in Associated Press Preseason Poll
8/10/2002 12:00:00 AM | Football
The Big Ten is also represented by No. 13 Ohio State, No. 18 Michigan State, No. 24 Penn State and No. 25 Wisconsin in the AP poll. Michigan was listed No. 10 in the USA Today/ESPN coaches poll released Aug. 1, and will host Washington, ranked No. 9 in the both polls, on Saturday, Aug. 31, at Michigan Stadium (noon on ABC Sports).
Notes:
-- This is the 17th consecutive year that the Wolverines begin the season ranked in the AP Poll, with their last unranked start coming in 1985 (beat No. 13 Notre Dame 20-12 in the season opener to enter the polls).
-- The No. 12 ranking ties last season's No. 12 ranking to begin the year. It equals the lowest for Michigan since 1997, when the Wolverines listed 14th in the preseason AP poll and went on to claim the organization's national title.
-- U-M finished the 2001 season listed No. 20 in both the AP and coaches polls.
Following is the 2002 preseason AP poll:
| | School | W-L* | Points | Prev |
| 1. | Miami (Fla.) (27) | 12-0 | 1,746 | 1 |
| 2. | Oklahoma (21) | 11-2 | 1,732 | 6 |
| 3. | Florida State (10) | 8-4 | 1,683 | 15 |
| 4. | Texas (13) | 11-2 | 1,682 | 5 |
| 5. | Tennessee (3) | 11-2 | 1,601 | 4 |
| 6. | Florida | 10-2 | 1,313 | 3 |
| 7. | Colorado | 10-3 | 1,291 | 9 |
| 8. | Georgia | 8-4 | 1,179 | 22 |
| 9. | Washington | 8-4 | 1,133 | 19 |
| 10. | Nebraska | 11-2 | 1,131 | 8 |
| 11. | Washington State | 10-2 | 1,096 | 10 |
| 12. | Michigan | 8-4 | 1,061 | 20 |
| 13. | Ohio State | 7-5 | 1,029 | NR |
| 14. | Louisiana State | 10-3 | 832 | 7 |
| 15. | Oregon | 11-1 | 736 | 2 |
| 16. | Virginia Tech | 8-4 | 583 | 18 |
| 17. | Louisville | 11-2 | 574 | 17 |
| 18. | Michigan State | 7-5 | 468 | NR |
| 19. | Marshall | 11-2 | 433 | NR |
| 20. | Southern California | 6-6 | 420 | NR |
| 21. | Maryland | 10-2 | 318 | 11 |
| 22. | South Carolina | 9-3 | 268 | 13 |
| 23. | Texas A&M | 8-4 | 247 | NR |
| 24. | Penn State | 5-6 | 221 | NR |
| 25. | Wisconsin | 5-7 | 193 | NR |
First-place votes in parentheses; * 2001 season final record
Contact: David Ablauf (734) 763-4423
