SouthernCollegeSports.com

SCS.com The Rice Owls were one of only three teams to have multiple players selected to the SCS.com Preseason First Team All-America squad, so it's no surprise the Owls start out the season ranked number one in the country. In-state rivals South Carolina and Clemson follow at two and three, while a second SEC team, Arkansas, comes in at number four. Cal State-Fullerton, meanwhile, rounds out the top five. Vanderbilt, another of the teams with multiple All-America selections, is sixth, while North Carolina, Virginia, Texas, and Miami complete the top ten. In all, there are four ACC and three SEC squads among the top ten according to the SCS.com staff's poll.

Nebraska and Florida State are eleven and twelve, while Wichita State, the lone mid-major team in the poll, comes in at thirteen. Georgia Tech, the third of the three teams with multiple First Team All-Americans, precedes Arizona State to round out the Fab 15. Last year's national title winner, Oregon State, was not in the preseason poll but did earn enough votes to finish among the top 25 teams.

# TEAM PREVIOUS*

SCS.com 1 RICE
Owls 3

SCS.com 2 SOUTH CAROLINA
Gamecocks 14

SCS.com 3 CLEMSON
Tigers 5

SCS.com 4 ARKANSAS
Razorbacks NR

SCS.com 5 CAL STATE-FULLERTON
Titans 4

SCS.com 6 VANDERBILT
Commodores NR

SCS.com 7 NORTH CAROLINA
Tar Heels 2

SCS.com 8 VIRGINIA
Cavaliers NR

SCS.com 9 TEXAS
Longhorns NR

SCS.com 10 MIAMI
Hurricanes 7

SCS.com 11 NEBRASKA
Cornhuskers NR

SCS.com 12 FLORIDA STATE
Seminoles 15

SCS.com 13 WICHITA STATE
Shockers NR

SCS.com 14 GEORGIA TECH
Yellow Jackets 6

SCS.com 15 ARIZONA STATE
Sun Devils NR

THE NEXT TEN:

Oklahoma State

TCU

Tulane

Tennessee

Mississippi

Oral Roberts

Oregon State

Baylor

Georgia

Pepperdine

ALSO RECEIVING VOTES: San Diego, LSU, UCLA, Arizona, College of Charleston, Winthrop

DROPPED FROM THE FAB 15: (1) Oregon State, (8) Georgia, (9) Alabama, (10) Mississippi, (11) Oral Roberts, (12) College of Charleston, (13) Oklahoma