Florida is coaches' poll No. 1

<p>That big old target is officially there now, slapped on the backs of the Florida Gators with Friday morning's release of the USA Today coaches' poll.</p><p> The Gators will start the season at No. 1.</p><p> Those expectations that have building around Urban Meyer's team all spring and summer just keep growing.</p><p> "Big expectations," senior linebacker Ryan Stamper said when informed the Gators were No. 1 in the coaches' poll. "Being the preseason No. 1 means a lot to us. We're trying to come into the season focused so we can live up to the expectations.</p><p> "We pretty much had a target on our back last year. It's the same this year. Our goal is to win the SEC (and see what happens). We know how hard we've got to work to get there."</p><p> With so many stars and starters returning from last year's national championship team, UF has been ranked No. 1 by almost every preseason publication. Now, the Gators are officially sitting on top with the release of the coaches' poll.</p><p> Friday morning's news likely did not surprise anyone, in Gainesville or throughout the nation.</p><p> "I think we'll handle it fairly well," junior offensive lineman Carl Johnson said. "We train hard, we practice hard. This was kind of expected. We had some key players returning. ... Tim Tebow and Brandon Spikes, and just about everybody on the offensive line and on defense. We expected it and we prepared for all this hype (during summer workouts).</p><p> "We don't really pay any attention to it. The coaches grind us and we're always grinding. Our goal is to get to Atlanta (for the SEC title game), stay close as a team and achieve goals together. That's all we think about."</p><p> The coaches' poll carries extra weight because it's an element of the BCS rankings, a voting system used to determine which two schools will play in the BCS championship game. The first BCS standings won't come out until Oct. 18. BCS Selection Sunday is Dec. 6. </p><p> Joining the Gators, who had 53 of the 59 first-place votes, in the top five are Texas at No. 2, followed by Oklahoma, Southern California and Alabama. The Longhorns had four votes for first, while the Sooners and Trojans had one each.</p><p> Rounding out the top 10 are Ohio State at No. 6, then Virginia Tech, Penn State, LSU and Ole Miss.</p><p> It's the third time Florida will kick off a season ranked No. 1. UF was the preseason choice in 1994 and 2001.</p><p> "I think we'll handle it well," No. 2 quarterback John Brantley said. "We'll try to come out here every day and just practice as hard as we can. We're worried about August right now, getting the fundamentals down and getting in the swing of things.</p><p> "Of course we have a target on our back, but we're not approaching it like we're the first team in the nation. We're approaching it like we're last. We're going to work hard, just as hard as we did last season."</p><p> Stamper said the daily competition among the team practically guarantees there will be no letdown.</p><p> "Nobody can take a half a snap off at any position this year because we're so talented across the board," he said. "I think that is what's going to make us a better team this year, because players are going to practice real hard to keep their positions. Practicing real hard is going to make us better for the games."</p><p> Junior defensive end Carlos Dunlap, the defensive MVP of the national championship game, said having a target on your back is a good thing.</p><p> "Everyone is going to have a chip on their shoulder to come out and get us," Dunlap said. "That means the competition is going to be better. It ain't no fun unless you have a lot of competition. That makes the game more fun, more exciting, more emotional. You make more plays, and everybody plays better."</p>