Believe it or not! ... 'College GameDay' host gives FSU highest ranking in AP Top 25 poll
Perhaps it was an olive branch on behalf of ESPN’s “College GameDay” crew, who angered Florida State fans last November and December by seemingly politicking for one-loss schools to reach the 2023 College Football Playoff instead of the undefeated Seminoles.
Or maybe it was his genuine opinion.
Either way, “GameDay” host Rece Davis was one of just four voters in the AP Top 25 poll who had the Seminoles at No. 6 on his preseason ballot. The other 58 voters had the Seminoles below that spot, as Florida State checked in at No. 10 overall.
Davis, an Alabama graduate, had the Seminoles one spot ahead of his alma mater Crimson Tide at No. 7. Alabama was No. 5 in the official poll.
The others three AP voters who had Florida State at No. 6 were Randy Johnson (Star Tribune in Minneapolis), Henry Greenstein (Journal-World in Lawrence, Kan.), and Jon Wilmer (Mercury News in San Jose, Calif.)
Most voters had the Seminoles, who went 13-1 last season, ranked between No. 8 and No. 12.
Two pollsters had Florida State outside of the top 15. Mason Young of the Tulsa World and Dylan Sinn of The Journal Gazette of Fort Wayne, Ind., both had the Seminoles at No. 16.
Florida State became the first undefeated Power 5 conference champion to be left out of the CFP last December, when the playoff committee instead selected one-loss teams Texas and Alabama.
The “College GameDay” crew is scheduled to be on location for Florida State’s Aug. 24 season opener against Georgia Tech in Dublin, Ireland.
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