CTT: Appreciative but cautious

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http://www.al.com/auburnfootball/birmingha....xml&coll=2

Appreciative but cautious

Saturday, August 19, 2006

CHARLES GOLDBERG

News staff writer

Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville was reluctant to make a big deal out of his team's No.4 national ranking in the preseason Associated Press football poll released Friday, and who could blame him?

The Tigers faltered badly when handed such lofty expectations in 2003, and now those national rankings are back, and with three first-place votes to boot.

"I thought they learned their lesson from last time, but obviously they haven't," Tuberville said with a laugh. "It doesn't mean a lot of difference. We appreciate the recognition, but we've got a lot of work to do."

Auburn's run toward the top came in 2004 when the Tigers finished No.2 in the country. The Tigers finished 14th last year, but the pollsters saw good things in the preseason vote.

Ohio State was voted No.1 and received 35 of the 65 first-place votes. Notre Dame, defending national champion Texas, Auburn and West Virginia rounded out the Top 5. Two more SEC teams - Florida at No. 7 and LSU at No. 8 - followed in close pursuit. Georgia was ranked 15th and Tennessee was 23rd. Alabama just missed making the Top 25, landing at No. 26.

Tuberville thinks his team has learned to deal with high expectations since 2003.

"It's all about getting the job done and not worrying about what anybody else thinks and more about what you do," he said.

Ohio State is the preseason No.1 team for the first time since 1998.

"Around here, whether you're high in the polls or not, the expectations are still the same," Ohio State coach Jim Tressel said.

Notre Dame was No.2, the best preseason showing for the Fighting Irish since they were second in 1994.

Southern California, preseason No.1 the past two years, was No.6, followed by Florida, LSU, California and Oklahoma. No.11 Florida State and No.12 Miami will renew their rivalry on Labor Day night in the Orange Bowl. No.13 was Louisville, followed by Michigan, Georgia, Iowa, Virginia Tech, Clemson, Penn State and Nebraska.

The final five were Oregon, TCU, Tennessee, Arizona State and Texas Tech.

Unlike the past two seasons, when Southern Cal started the season as an overwhelming No.1, the Buckeyes received 54 percent of the first-place votes, and all the teams in the top six received at least three votes for No.1. Notre Dame had 10 first-place votes, Texas eight, West Virginia six and Auburn and USC three.

Ohio State closed the 2005 season on a seven-game winning streak and was No.4 in the final AP poll. The Buckeyes' two losses were to Texas and Penn State by a combined total of 10 points.