FSU ranked No. 8 in preseason AP Top 25

Another step closer to football season.

The first edition of the AP Top 25 was released on Monday, one of the major benchmarks marking the slow march to the first kickoff of the fall.

Florida State has been lauded with high expectations this off-season, a result of returning 79% percent of its 2022 production which includes Heisman Trophy-contending quarterback Jordan Travis.

Those expectations resulted in Florida State’s highest preseason ranking in the AP Top 25 since 2017 — No. 8.

FSU vs. LSU, as expected, will officially be a top-ten matchup when the two face off in Orlando on September 3 to kick off the season. In last week’s initial USA Today Coaches Poll, FSU also earned a No. 8 ranking while the Tigers were slotted No. 5 — the same as their AP Poll rank.

From FSU Sports Info:

Florida State led the country with an average of 7.46 plays of at least 20 yards per game and ranked second nationally with an explosive play differential of +7.41. The defense was fourth in the country in passing defense, and FSU was one of six teams nationally to rank in the top-25 in kickoff return and punt return average. Florida State led the ACC in passing defense, third-down offense, yards gained per pass, yards gained per play, yards gained per rush, total offense per game, yards per completion, yards allowed per pass, rushing offense per game, yards allowed per play, total defense per game and scoring offense per game.

Florida State was the only team to lead its conference in both total offense and total defense and was one of two teams nationally to average at least 270 passing yards and 210 rushing yards per game. The Seminoles, along with Alabama and Georgia, were one of only three teams to rank in the top-15 in yards per play on offense and defense. Those three teams were also the only ones ranked in the top-20 in total defense, scoring defense, total offense and scoring offense.

The full AP Top 25 Poll:

• No. 1 Georgia Bulldogs
• No. 2 Michigan Wolverines
• No. 3 Ohio State Buckeyes
• No. 4 Alabama Crimson Tide
• No. 5 LSU Tigers
• No. 6 USC Trojans
• No. 7 Penn State Nittany Lions
• No. 8 Florida State Seminoles
• No. 9 Clemson Tigers
• No. 10 Washington Huskies
• No. 11 Texas Longhorns
• No. 12 Tennessee Volunteers
• No. 13 Notre Dame Fighting Irish
• No. 14 Utah Utes
• No. 15 Oregon Ducks
• No. 16 Kansas State Wildcats
• No. 17 TCU Horned Frogs
• No. 18 Oregon State Beavers
• No. 19 Wisconsin Badgers
• No. 20 Oklahoma Sooners
• No. 21 North Carolina Tar Heels
• No. 22 Ole Miss Rebels
• No. 23 Texas A&M Aggies
• No. 24 Tulane Green Wave
• No. 25 Iowa Hawkeyes

OTHERS RECEIVING VOTES:

OTHERS RECEIVING VOTES: Texas Tech Red Raiders (101), South Carolina Gamecocks (73), UCLA Bruins (66), UTSA Roadrunners (64), Arkansas Razorbacks (22), Boise State Broncos (17), Pittsburgh Panthers (16), Kentucky Wildcats (14), Louisville Cardinals (10), Troy Trojans (10), Kansas Jayhawks (10), Auburn Tigers (7), Minnesota Golden Gophers (6), Toledo Rockets (4), Duke Blue Devils (4), Mississippi State Bulldogs (4), Florida Gators (4), Illinois Fighting Illini (3), Baylor Bears (3), Coastal Carolina Chanticleers (3), South Alabama Jaguars (1), NC State Wolfpack (1), James Madison Dukes (1), Liberty Flames (1).