Coaches poll has NU ranked third: [City Edition]

If the history of the USA Today/ESPN Top 25 coaches polls hold, then Nebraska has a good shot at a fourth national champi- onship in five years. The defending coaches poll champion Cornhuskers were tabbed No. 3 in the pre- season USA Today/ESPN poll, behind No. 1 Ohio State and No. 2 Florida State. The only time Nebraska was tabbed as the preseason No. 1 pick by the coaches, in 1996, the Huskers did not win the national champion- ship. In the last 10 years, the coaches pre- season picks were correct only once -- in 1993 with Florida State. The Associated Press media preseason poll will be released Aug. 16. This year's top two teams to play in a national champion- ship game in the Fiesta Bowl will be de- termined by the new Bowl Championship Series formula. To determine the top two teams, the regular season coaches and me- dia polls will count, as will ratings in com- puter rankings by Jeff Sagarin and the Seattle Times, and strength of schedule determined by overall winning percent- age of a team's oppo- nents. In year's past -- last year for instance -- it was possible to have two national champion- ship contenders playing in different bowls. Nebraska head coach Frank Solich, who votes in the poll, said he put little stock in the pre- season poll. "It's good to be in a position where, if you do well, you can climb and have a chance at the national championship at the end of the season," he said. "But if you look at the number of returning starters we have and counted that heavily, we maybe shouldn't be this high right now." Ohio State, which last won a national title in 1968, picked up 31 first-place votes and 1,465 points, while Florida State had 10 first- place votes and 1,447 points. Nebraska had 12 first-place votes and 1,372 points. Twenty- five points are awarded for first place, 24 for second place and so on. Florida is fourth, followed by last year's Associated Press champion Michigan, and Big 12 North Division rival Kansas State is No. 6. Texas A&M, at No. 15, was the only other Big 12 school listed in the Top 25. Tex- as, Colorado, Oklahoma State and Missouri picked up votes. Washington -- a Nebraska opponent -- was No. 17 and Louisiana Tech, who the Huskers open the season with, re- ceived votes. "I think there is no question that we have a tough schedule," Solich said. "The polls, to a degree, indicate that we have a tough road." Solich said the fact the Big 12 had just three teams rated may be dis- turbing. "I thought there could have been more in the Top 25," he said. "Some got votes though and they should move, will move, up in the polls as the season progresses." Solich said he appreciates the new Bowl Championship Series formula. "It's a good formula and will play out in getting the No. 1 teams to a championship game," he said. "I don't place a great deal of impor- tance in preseason polls but I'm sure the players are observant and they know how things read out and how a rating can mean very little when it comes to actually playing a game."