Wake Forest Athletics
Deacons No. 23 in USA Today Poll
8/1/2008 12:00:00 AM | Football
Aug. 1, 2008
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - For the first time in school history, Wake Forest will enter a football season ranked among the nation's top 25 teams. The Demon Deacons are ranked 23rd in the USA Today Coaches Poll which was released Friday morning (August 1).
The Deacons are ranked between No. 22 Penn State and No. 24 Michigan. Georgia is ranked No. 1 in the preseason poll followed by Southern California, Ohio State, Oklahoma and Florida.
"I think it's rewarding for us in that people respect our football program," said Wake Forest head coach Jim Grobe. "But at the same time, it's a little bit scary because we have a really tough schedule. I think we can be a good football team but that certainly doesn't guarantee a good season. From our perspective, it's nice to be ranked in the preseason but it would be nicer to be ranked highly at the end of the season."
This marks the earliest in a season that Wake Forest has been ranked in either of the two major polls conduced by the Associated Press (media) and USA Today (coaches). Previously, the earliest Wake had been ranked was 2003 when it was 20th in the AP poll and 21st in the USA Today poll on Sept. 7 following wins over Boston College and 14th-ranked N.C. State. Wake then fell out of the polls following a 16-10 loss to Purdue.
Wake Forest earned one national ranking last year, at No. 21, on Oct. 28, 2007.
The Deacons' longest run in the polls occurred during the 2006 season. Wake cracked the AP poll at No. 25 on Oct. 15, 2006 and spent nine consecutive weeks in the rankings, rising as high as No. 14 before finishing the year at No. 18. Wake Forest was ranked in final seven USA Today polls in 2006 and finished the year 17th.
The USA Today poll collects weekly ballots from 60 Football Bowl Subdivision head coaches including Grobe.
The Deacons will hold their first practice of the year on Friday afternoon at 5:15 p.m. at the Doc Martin Football Practice Complex on the Wake Forest campus.
Wake Forest opens the 2008 season at Baylor on Thursday, August 28.
