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The AP released its first Top 25 poll of the 2013 season Saturday morning. Not much is different from the initial 2013 Coaches Poll. The same 25 teams are all ranked, with many in the same spots on the list.
Unsurprisingly, no Mid-American Conference Teams made the Top 25. This time around though, only one team, Northern Illinois, even received votes. The Huskies technically come in ranked 34th, which is higher than their No. 38 ranking in the first 2013 USA Today Coaches Poll. Last season, NIU finished ranked No. 22 in the final AP Poll, after losing to Florida State in the BCS Orange Bowl. The Huskies' poor performance in the Orange Bowl, coupled with being a mid-major, made it unlikely they would crack the preseason Top 25.
They do return many of last season's weapons, including Heisman hopeful Jordan Lynch, the entire starting offensive line, and six starters on defense. If NIU can starts strong with, including wins on the road against two B1G teams, it's not unlikely they could crack the Top 25 by as early as mid-October.
Other MAC teams who received votes in the Coaches Poll (Ohio, 8; Kent State, 3; Toledo, 1) will have a much harder time cracking the AP Top 25. None of them received a vote in the preseason poll.
The full rankings are bellow, with vote totals:
| Rank | Team | Record | Votes | Previous |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alabama (58) | 0-0 | 1,498 | NR |
| 2 | Ohio State (1) | 0-0 | 1,365 | NR |
| 3 | Oregon | 0-0 | 1,335 | NR |
| 4 | Stanford | 0-0 | 1,294 | NR |
| 5 | Georgia (1) | 0-0 | 1,249 | NR |
| 6 | South Carolina | 0-0 | 1,154 | NR |
| 7 | Texas A&M | 0-0 | 1,104 | NR |
| 8 | Clemson | 0-0 | 1,083 | NR |
| 9 | Louisville | 0-0 | 1,042 | NR |
| 10 | Florida | 0-0 | 894 | NR |
| 11 | Florida State | 0-0 | 845 | NR |
| 12 | LSU | 0-0 | 802 | NR |
| 13 | Oklahoma State | 0-0 | 755 | NR |
| 14 | Notre Dame | 0-0 | 748 | NR |
| 15 | Texas | 0-0 | 677 | NR |
| 16 | Oklahoma | 0-0 | 579 | NR |
| 17 | Michigan | 0-0 | 531 | NR |
| 18 | Nebraska | 0-0 | 382 | NR |
| 19 | Boise State | 0-0 | 328 | NR |
| 20 | TCU | 0-0 | 323 | NR |
| 21 | UCLA | 0-0 | 286 | NR |
| 22 | Northwestern | 0-0 | 199 | NR |
| 23 | Wisconsin | 0-0 | 185 | NR |
| 24 | USC | 0-0 | 134 | NR |
| 25 | Oregon State | 0-0 | 129 | NR |
| Others Receiving Votes: Michigan State 95, Baylor 92, Virginia Tech 86, Miami (FL) 85, Arizona State 53, Kansas State 43, Fresno State 36, Vanderbilt 19, Washington 17, Northern Illinois 16, Mississippi 11, Utah State 8, Georgia Tech 6, North Carolina 3, Arizona 3, Cincinnati 3, Penn State 2, Brigham Young 1 |