The first college football rankings for 2011 are out, as the USA Today coaches poll was released Thursday morning. The USC Trojans are not eligible for the poll, in their second year of NCAA sanctions, but the Pac-12 has two ranked teams, with No. 3 Oregon and No. 6 Stanford both in the top six. Here is the top 10:
- Oklahoma (42 first place votes)
- Alabama (13)
- Oregon (2)
- LSU (2)
- Florida St
- Stanford
- Boise St
- Oklahoma St
- Texas A&M
- Wisconsin
USC hosts No. 6 Stanford on Saturday, October 29, and travels to Eugene to battle No. 3 Oregon on November 19. The other top 25 team on USC's scheduled this year is No. 18 Notre Dame, who the Trojans play in South Bend on October 22.
Other Pac-12 teams receiving votes are Arizona State (No. 26), Utah (No. 28), Arizona (No. 32), Oregon St (No. 46), and Washington (No. 48).
USC has 13 returning starters from last year's 8-5 squad, led by quarterback Matt Barkley, linemen Khaled Holmes and Matt Kalil, and wide receiver Robert Woods. The Trojans have seven home games this season, and open the season September 3 against Minnesota at the Coliseum.
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