USC Gamecocks shown respect in preseason rankings

South Carolina has still never been picked higher than third in the preseason media poll – but the Gamecocks came closer than ever this year. The Gamecocks were picked third in the SEC East in the preseason poll, one vote behind second-place Georgia. That tied for the second-closest margin in the two-decade history of the voting; the closest was a tie between USC and Georgia for third in 1995. The poll was announced Friday at SEC media days. It was the second straight year USC was picked third, after being picked fourth the previous seven times. It was the fifth time USC has been picked third, and the first time that has happened in consecutive years. South Carolina has twice finish tied for second, in 2000 and 2005. Florida was picked to win the East, and Alabama the West, both by comfortable margins. Those two teams have met in each of the past two league championship games. In the bottom half of the East, the predicted order of finish was Kentucky, Tennessee and Vanderbilt. That was the lowest-ever predicted finish for Tennessee. Vanderbilt received one first-place vote. In the West, the order behind Alabama was Arkansas, Auburn, LSU, Mississippi State and Mississippi.