Dogs 13th, Jackets 15th in initial coaches' poll

ATHENS -- The Georgia Bulldogs were ranked No. 13 in the initial USA Today coaches' poll release on Friday morning, while Georgia Tech was ranked 15th. In additional news, safety Reshad Jones was named to the watch list for the Jim Thorpe Award on Thursday.

Georgia will open the season on Saturday, Sept. 5 at Oklahoma State, which was ranked No. 11 in the pre-season poll. The Bulldogs will face four teams ranked in the top 15 of USA Today rankings ­ No. 1 Florida, No. 9 LSU, the No. 11 Cowboys and No. 15 Georgia Tech.

The Yellow Jackets open the season at 1 p.m. Sept. 5 against Jacksonville State at home.

Florida received 53 of 59 first-place votes. Texas was second in the poll, followed by Oklahoma, Southern California, Alabama, Ohio State, Virginia Tech, Penn State, LSU and Mississippi. Texas had four first-place votes, and Oklahoma and Southern California each had one. The Associated Press preseason Top 25 will be released Saturday, Aug. 22.

The Dogs finished No. 10 in the final USA Today poll following a 10-3 campaign a year ago. Georgia has now posted six top-10 finishes in the coaches' poll in the last seven years, including No. 3 in 2002, No. 6 in both 2003 and 2004, No. 10 in 2005 and No. 3 in 2007.

The Thorpe Award is given annually to the nation's top defensive back. The ledger of 31 leading candidates was derived through a point system based on pre-season All-American teams listed in various football publications.

Jones, a 6-foot-2, 212-pound junior from Atlanta's Booker T. Washington High
School, was a second-team All-SEC selection by the Associated Press last season after leading the Bulldogs with five interceptions. He started 12 of 13 games in 2008, posting 76 tackles, including 2.5 tackles for loss, and posted three pass break-ups.

The Thorpe watch list is not final, and players who have exceptional seasons may be added. Ten semifinalists will be named on Nov. 2, and that list will be trimmed to three finalists on Nov. 23. The winner is announced on ESPN's College Football Awards Show telecast in December. The official presentation of the award will take place in Oklahoma City in February.


-- USA Today coaches' poll:

1. Florida (53)
2. Texas (4)
3. Oklahoma
4. USC (1)
5. Alabama
6. Ohio State
7. Virginia Tech
8. Penn State
9. LSU
10. Mississippi
11. Oklahoma State
12. California
13. Georgia
14. Oregon
15. Georgia Tech
16. Boise State
17. TCU
18. Utah
19. Florida State
20. North Carolina
21. Iowa
22. Nebraska
23. Notre Dame
24. Brigham Young
25. Oregon State

Others Receiving Votes:
Kansas 138, Michigan State 136, Texas Tech 114, Cincinnati 90, Pittsburgh 64, West Virginia 55, Rutgers 51, Miami (FL) 46, Missouri 44, Illinois 38, Clemson 30, South Carolina 18, UCLA 14, Auburn 12, South Florida 11, Nevada 11, Kentucky 9, North Carolina State 7, Wisconsin 6, Arkansas 6, Northwestern 5, Southern Miss 4, Wake Forest 4, Arizona 3, Boston College 3, Central Michigan 3, East Carolina 3, Colorado 2, Maryland 2, Navy 2, Tennessee 2, Troy 1, Minnesota 1, Michigan 1, Houston 1.