Below The Beltway

It’s nearly time for the College Football season to start, and the preseason polls are out.

First, there’s the Associated Press poll:

NEW YORK — After a season of chasing, Southern California is again the team being chased.

And that’s just the way coach Pete Carroll and the Trojans like it.

For the third time in the past four years, USC begins the college football season No. 1 in The Associated Press Top 25.

“It’s exactly where we hope and expect to be,” Carroll said. “It’s a symbol of what we’re all about.”

Southern California received 62 of 65 first-place votes and 1,622 points from a panel of media members. USC easily outdistanced No. 2 LSU in the poll released Saturday. The Tigers received two first-place votes and 1,511 points. They haven’t started a season ranked this high since 1959, when they were preseason No. 1.

Here’s how the pack is starting out:

1. Southern Cal (62) 11-2 1,622 votes

2. LSU (2) 11-2 1,511 votes

3. West Virginia (1) 11-2 1,396 votes

4. Texas 10-3 1,375 votes

5. Michigan 11-2 1,371 votes

6. Florida 13-1 1,276 votes

7. Wisconsin 12-1 1,192 votes

8. Oklahoma 11-3 1,166 votes

9. Virginia Tech 10-3 1,148 votes
10. Louisville 12-1 1,031 votes

11. Ohio St. 12-1 876 votes

12. California 10-3 790 votes

13. Georgia 9-4 782 votes

14. UCLA 7-6 605 votes

15. Tennessee 9-4 571 votes

16. Rutgers 11-2 560 votes

17. Penn St. 9-4 542 votes

18. Auburn 11-2 519 votes

19. Florida St. 7-6 392 votes

20. Nebraska 9-5 377 votes

21. Arkansas 10-4 376 votes

22. TCU 11-2 283 votes

23. Hawaii 11-3 256 votes

24. Boise St. 13-0 187 votes

25. Texas A&M 9-4 162 votes

Others receiving votes: Missouri 128, Georgia Tech 94, Boston College 75, Oregon 73, South Carolina 69, Miami 68, Alabama 66, Oregon St. 42, Wake Forest 40, South Florida 28, Arizona St. 17, BYU 14, Southern Miss. 12, Notre Dame 11, Virginia 7, Clemson 6, Oklahoma St. 3, Texas Tech 2, Houston 1, Kentucky 1, N.C. State 1, Purdue 1.

And the USA Today Poll:

1. Southern California (45) 11-2 1,481 votes

2. LSU (4) 11-2 1,372 votes

3. Florida (9) 13-1 1,278 votes

4. Texas 10-3 1,231 votes

5. Michigan (2) 11-2 1,218 votes

6. West Virginia 11-2 1,205 votes

7. Wisconsin 12-1 1,114 votes

8. Oklahoma 11-3 1,026 votes

9. Virginia Tech 10-3 1,005 votes

10. Ohio State 12-1 919 votes

11. Louisville 12-1 836 votes

12. California 10-3 763 votes

13. Georgia 9-4 604 votes

14. Auburn 11-2 595 votes

15. Tennessee 9-4 583 votes

16. Rutgers 11-2 466 votes

17.UCLA 7-6 454 votes

18. Penn State 9-4 440 votes

19. Nebraska 9-5 388 votes

20. Arkansas 10-4 360 votes

21. Florida State 7-6 301 votes

22. TCU 11-2 233 votes

23. Boise State 13-0 222 votes

24. Hawaii 11-3 214 votes

25.Texas A&M 9-4 209 votes

Others receiving votes: Boston College (10-3) 150; Georgia Tech (9-5) 150; Miami (Fla.) (7-6) 91; Notre Dame (10-3) 90; South Carolina (8-5) 90; Wake Forest (11-3) 71; Missouri (8-5) 58; Oregon State (10-4) 52; Brigham Young (11-2) 47; Clemson (8-5) 30; Oregon (7-6) 30; South Florida (9-4) 26; Texas Tech (8-5) 20; Alabama (6-7) 16; Oklahoma State (7-6) 15; Southern Mississippi (9-5) 14; Iowa (6-7) 12; Kansas State (7-6) 8; Memphis (2-10) 5; Houston (10-4) 4; Arizona (6-6) 1; Duke (0-12) 1; Kentucky (8-5) 1; Washington State (6-6) 1.

Play ball !