FSU Ranked No. 3 in Preseason AP Poll

A top 5 national ranking to begin 2017 comes as no surprise for Florida State. The Seminoles finished No. 8 in the final polls last season after closing the year on a 5-game winning streak and with an Orange Bowl win over Michigan.

FSU will begin the 2017 campaign ranked No. 3, behind Alabama and Ohio State in the preseason AP Poll. The Seminoles will face the top-ranked Crimson Tide to open the season on Sept. 2 in Atlanta.

The No. 3 national ranking is the highest for Florida State since starting first in 2014 following a national championship campaign. FSU was ranked No. 3 in the Amway Coaches Poll earlier this offseason and opened the year ranked fourth in the AP Poll last season.

Other ACC teams included in the initial AP Poll were reigning national champion Clemson at No. 5, Louisville at No. 16, Miami at No. 18 and Virginia Tech at No. 21. FSU received four first-place votes.

Mike Ferguson is the editor of The Daily Nole. Follow Mike on Twitter @MikeWFerguson