Wildcats Ranked No.13 in Preseason USA Today/ESPN Poll
Jul 30, 2004 | Football
MANHATTAN, Kan. Kansas State, the defending Big 12 Champion, will open the 2004 season with the same ranking in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches’ Poll that it finished the 2003 campaign No. 13.
The poll, released Friday by the USA TODAY/ESPN Board of Coaches, includes four teams from the Big 12 Conference. Oklahoma, the media’s choice from the Big 12 South to meet K-State in the Big 12 Championship game, it the league’s highest ranked squad at No. 2, followed by No. 8 Texas, No. 13 Kansas State and No. 17 Missouri.
With three teams ranked in the top 13, Big 12 ties the Big 10 and Southeastern Conference (SEC) for the most teams (3) in spots 1-13.
Preparations for the 2004 campaign officially get underway next week, with players reporting on Thursday, Aug. 5. The Wildcats take to the field for their first practice of the season on Friday, Aug. 6.
Year Rank
1996 18th
1997 23rd
1998 6th
1999 19th
2000 9th
2001 11th
2002 NR
2003 5th
2004 13th
2004 ESPN/USA Today Top 25 Coaches' Poll
Rk School (1st Place Votes) Points 03 record Final 03 rank
1.
2.
3. LSU (5) 1,387 13-1 1
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16. Clemson 503 9-4 22
17.
18. Auburn 473 8-5 NR
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
Purdue 187 9-4 19
25.
Others receiving votes: Nebraska (10-3) 151; Oregon State (8-5) 101; Boise State (13-1) 99; Washington State (10-3) 86; North Carolina State (8-5) 84; Louisville (9-4) 78; Virginia Tech (8-5) 62; TCU (11-2) 50; Oklahoma State (8-5) 41; Toledo (8-4) 33; Memphis (9-4) 27; Georgia Tech (7-6) 25; Notre Dame (5-7) 25; Bowling Green (11-3) 22; Brigham Young (4-8) 21; Miami (Ohio) (13-1) 21; Fresno State (9-5) 17; Michigan State (8-5) 16; Pittsburgh (8-5) 14; Marshall (8-4) 13; Alabama (4-9) 12; Arkansas (9-4) 12; Boston College (8-5) 10; Northern Illinois (10-2) 10; San Diego State (6-6) 8; Colorado State (7-6) 7; Mississippi (10-3) 7; UCLA (6-7) 7; Texas Tech (8-5) 6; Hawaii (9-5) 5; Texas A&M (4-8) 5; Southern Mississippi (9-4) 4; Penn State (3-9) 2; Air Force (7-5) 1; Arizona (2-10) 1; Arizona State (5-7) 1; Connecticut (9-3) 1; New Mexico (8-5) 1; Washington (6-6) 1.
The USA TODAY/ESPN Board of Coaches is made up of 61 head coaches at Division I-A institutions. All are members of the American Football Coaches Association. The 2004 board: Barry Alvarez, Wisconsin; Chuck Amato, North Carolina State; Gary Barnett, Colorado; Frank Beamer, Virginia Tech; Mike Bellotti, Oregon; Phil Bennett, Southern Methodist; Jack Bicknell, Louisiana Tech; Bobby Bowden, Florida State; Tommy Bowden, Clemson; Jeff Bower, Southern Mississippi; Gregg Brandon, Bowling Green; Mack Brown, Texas; Watson Brown, Alabama-Birmingham; Lloyd Carr, Michigan; Larry Coker, Miami (Fla.); Gary Crowton, Brigham Young; David Cutcliffe, Mississippi; Gary Darnell, Western Michigan; Darrell Dickey, North Texas; Bill Doba, Washington State; Dennis Franchione, Texas A&M; Ralph Friedgen, Maryland; Phillip Fulmer, Tennessee; Joe Glenn, Wyoming; Walt Harris, Pittsburgh; Dan Hawkins, Boise State; Fitz Hill, San Jose State; Pat Hill, Fresno State; Terry Hoeppner, Miami (Ohio); Brady Hoke, Ball State; Lou Holtz, South Carolina; Dirk Koetter, Arizona State; Jim Leavitt, South Florida; Rocky Long, New Mexico; Sonny Lubick, Colorado State; Dan McCarney, Iowa State; Andy McCollum, Middle Tennessee; Glen Mason, Minnesota; Les Miles, Oklahoma State; Joe Novak, Northern Illinois; Houston Nutt, Arkansas; Tom O'Brien, Boston College; George O'Leary, Central Florida; Joe Paterno, Penn State; Gary Patterson, TCU; Bobby Petrino, Louisville; Gary Pinkel, Missouri; Bob Pruett, Marshall; Mark Richt, Georgia; Steve Roberts, Arkansas State; Rich Rodriguez, West Virginia; Nick Saban, LSU; John L. Smith, Michigan State; Bob Stoops, Oklahoma; Mike Stoops, Arizona; Jeff Tedford, California; Jim Tressel, Ohio State; Tommy Tuberville, Auburn; Ron Turner, Illinois; Charlie Weatherbie, Louisiana-Monroe; Tyrone Willingham, Notre Dame. The AFCA prohibits schools on major NCAA or conference probation from receiving votes.
