Nowhere to be found in the ESPN/USA Today preseason coaches poll and picked as high as No. 31 in the country by The Sporting News, Kansas University’s football team came in somewhere in between on Rivals.com’s preseason Top 120.

The Jayhawks, led by first-year head coach Turner Gill, were tapped No. 54 by Rivals, good for eighth best in the Big 12.

Conference foes Nebraska (fifth), Texas (seventh), Oklahoma (13th), Missouri (28th), Texas A&M (43rd), Texas Tech (46th) and Colorado (50th) ranked ahead of the Jayhawks in the poll. KU is scheduled to face just four of those seven teams in 2010, however, with OU, UT and Tech left off this year’s schedule.

Two of Kansas’ four nonconference opponents were ranked ahead of the Jayhawks, with Georgia Tech (in Lawrence, Sept. 11) coming in at No. 27 and Southern Miss (in Hattiesburg, Miss., Sept. 17) ranking right in front of Kansas at No. 53.

According to Rivals, 2010 could be another rough year in Lawrence.

“Turner Gill brings a fresh start,” the website’s preview states, “but the results might not be much different than last year’s 5-7 finish, at least in the early going. The Jayhawks are staring at the realistic possibility of a second consecutive losing season.”

The rankings are the last Rivals plans to release until early October. The reason? According to the site, “We will wait until enough games have been played so we can legitimately rank the teams.”

Reesing book signing

Former KU quarterback Todd Reesing will be signing copies of his recently released book, “Rising to New Heights: Inside the Jayhawks Huddle,” from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. today at Crown Toyota, 3400 South Iowa.

The signing is the first of several upcoming appearances for the record-setting quarterback. He’ll be at Dillons, on Sixth and Wakarusa, from 4-6 p.m. on Sept. 3 and will follow that up with a double dip on the day of KU’s season opener.

From 1-3 p.m. on Sept. 4, Reesing will be at The Jock’s Nitch, 837 Massachusetts. Following that he’ll head to Memorial Stadium for a pregame signing from 4-6 p.m. The Jayhawks open the season at 6 p.m. Sept. 4 against North Dakota State.

Gill adds pep to rally

Rainy weather did nothing to keep several KU fans away from an appearance by Gill at a football pep rally Friday in Prairie Village.

Joined by the Rock Chalk Dancers, the KU band, women’s basketball coach Bonnie Henrickson, assistant men’s basketball coach Kurtis Townsend and mascot “Big Jay,” Gill talked to the crowd about the upcoming season and promised to make KU proud this fall.

Fan Appreciation Day looms

Jayhawk fans will get a chance to see the 2010 KU football team up close and personal at Fan Appreciation Day this Sunday.

The event will coincide with a KU practice, which is scheduled to begin at 5 p.m. at Memorial Stadium. Gates will open at 4:30, and admission is free.

Following the workout, the entire team will be available for autographs. Fans are asked to limit autograph requests to one item per player or coach.