Rick Pedone
Sports Editor

Football might be king in Florida, but, according to their popularity, the state’s three NFL franchises hardly are sitting atop the league’s throne.

A Harris poll conducted in mid-September ranked the Miami Dolphins No. 21 and our Tampa Bay Buccaneers No. 28 in popularity.

Think that’s bad? Guess where the Jacksonville Jaguars, who doomed Orlando to be their “secondary” TV market, are ranked. Yep, No. 32 – dead last in the NFL.

Question: How do you rank worse in the eyes of football fans than the Buffalo Bills (No. 29)? The St. Louis Rams (No. 23)? The Detroit Lions (No. 30)?

Is it any wonder that there are Sundays during the NFL season when many Central Florida fans either are heading to a sports bar, downloading an Internet connection or hooking up a satellite dish to watch a decent game?

Last Sunday, for example, this was your choice at 1 p.m.: Jacksonville at Buffalo, or Tampa Bay at Cincinnati.

It was bad enough to make you miss vuvuzelas at the World Cup.

Because of NFL broadcast regulations, all Jacksonville road games must be carried in Orlando, along with home games that sell out. Orlando’s also a secondary home market for Tampa Bay.

Dallas was the No. 1 team in the Harris poll, followed by Indianapolis, Green Bay, Pittsburgh, New Orleans, New England, New York Giants, Minnesota, Chicago and Atlanta.

I’m not sure what the criteria was for this poll, but the results indicate that a lot of those polled are front runners. Atlanta at No. 10, and the Arizona Cardinals at No. 11? Ahead of Oakland (No. 18)? Obviously, not many gang members were queried.

The Dolphins seem underrated at No. 21, but a few weeks ago I tried to buy a Dolphins shirt in Kissimmee and almost came up empty.

“Most fans here are for Tampa Bay,” one merchant said.

Well, enough of them to make the Bucs No. 28 in the NFL!

Meanwhile, the Mighty News Gazette Top 13 is always No. 1 (except for OSU):

No. 1: The OSU. No. 2: The Ol’ Ball Coach. No. 3: The Ravens (No. 19 in popularity). No. 4: Roy Halladay. No. 5: Cliff Lee. No. 6: Tim Lincecum. No. 7: The J-E-T-S (No. 16 in the Harris poll). No. 8: The Ducks. No. 9: Maz (in honor of the 50th anniversary of Bill Mazeroski’s Game 7 homer against the Yankees). No. 10: Boise State. No. 11: The Noles. No. 12: Big Red. No. 13: The Philly Eagles (No. 13 in the Harris poll, but No. 1 in Young Jackson’s heart!). Honorary No. 33: The Chilean miners.

To the picks:

Mississippi State at Florida (-7 1/2): Gators are one TD favorites over the Bulldogs at home? The post-Tebow era is not going well, is it? Gators by 14.

Boston College at FSU (-21): On the other hand, the post-Bowden era is going very well. Noles by 19.

Arkansas at Auburn (-3 1/2): The SEC Game of the Century of the Week. Tigers by 6.

Iowa (-4) at Michigan: Hawkeyes picked the wrong week to visit Denard Robinson’s house. Wolverinos by 3 in the Upset Special.

Ohio State (-4) at Wisconsin: The Buckeyes are more popular than the Browns and Bengals combined. OSU by 2.

The paid professionals:

Miami at Green Bay (off): The Fins may not be as popular as the Packers, but at least their quarterback doesn’t have a concussion. Fins by 2.

New Orleans (-4 1/2) at Tampa Bay: The Bucs are second in the NFC South, and the Saints are third. You can’t make this stuff up. Saints by 7.

Tennessee (-3) at Jacksonville: Great idea department: “Hey, we’ve got the least popular team in football here. Let’s put them on Monday Night!” Jags by 1 in a “The Universe Hates Us” Upset Special.

Dallas at Minnesota (-1 1/2): The greatest matchup of 1-3 teams in NFL history. Cowpokes by 1 in Greatest Upset Ever.

New York J-E-T-S (-3) at Denver: Short week for the Jets at high altitude. Broncs by 2 in a “The Jets Can’t Breathe” Upset Special.

Baltimore at New England (-3): Tom Brady and the Mrs. would smoke Dallas in a TMZ popularity poll. Ray Lewis doesn’t care. Ravens by 1 in a “Pound on the Pretty Boy” Upset Special.

Brian “Big Man” McBride’s Super Sniffer Upset Special: Ravens by 3.

Petey “The Gators Are Going To Win” Covino says:  “Darn Gators by 10.”

Young Jackson says: Titans by 2, Pats by 3 and I’m sticking to Phillies over Rangers in 6 at the World Series.­

Last week: Phlying Philly (4-6, 32-22) Phlogged Phoggy Phogey  (3-7, 29-25).