LSU starts the season ranked first in Coaches' Poll
By: Brandon Dunn
Updated: August 2, 2012
BATON
ROUGE - For the first time since 1959, LSU will open a football season ranked
No. 1 in the nation as the Tigers have been placed atop the USA Today Coaches'
Poll, the organization announced on Thursday.
LSU
returns 15 starters from last year's team that captured the Southeastern
Conference title and went 13-0 during the regular season before falling in the
BCS National Championship Game. LSU spent 11 straight weeks ranked No. 1 in the
nation a year ago.
"It's
a complement to our program and the body of work that has been accomplished
here," head coach Les Miles said. "We understand that it's a spot that we hold
right now and nothing more. We recognize that we have to earn our spot and
there are a lot of games to be played before anything is determined."
The
last time LSU opened a season ranked No. 1 came in 1959 when the Associated
Press tagged the Tigers as the top-ranked squad. LSU responded by beating Rice,
26-3, to open the year. LSU remained No. 1 for eight straight games before
falling to Tennessee, 14-13, in week eight. LSU went to the Sugar Bowl that
year in what was Billy Cannon's Heisman Trophy winning season.
With
the No. 1 preseason ranking, the Tigers will run their streak of consecutive
games played as the nation's top-ranked team to 11 straight when LSU opens the
2012 season against North Texas in Tiger Stadium. The 11 consecutive games as
the nation's No. 1 ranked team is just two shy of tying the LSU mark of 13 set
in 1958-59
LSU's
schedule features a total of five Top 25 teams, including three in the Top 10.
Alabama is No. 2 in the poll with South Carolina at No. 9 and Arkansas at No.
10. Florida at No. 23 and Auburn at No. 25 round out the remainder of LSU
opponents in the preseason poll. Georgia is the only other SEC team in the poll
as the Bulldogs are ranked No. 6.
2012
USA Today/ESPN Coaches Poll - Preseason
Rank
Team
Points
Previous
First Place Votes
1.
LSU (13-1)
1403
2
18
2.
Alabama (12-1)
1399
1
20
3.
Southern California (10-2)
1388
not ranked
19
4.
Oklahoma (10-3)
1276
15
1
5.
Oregon (12-2)
1258
4
0
6.
Georgia (10-4)
1061
20
0
7.
Florida State (9-4)
1055
23
1
8.
Michigan (11-2)
1023
9
0
9.
South Carolina (11-2)
981
8
0
10.
Arkansas (11-2)
948
5
0
11.
West Virginia (10-3)
833
18
0
12.
Wisconsin (11-3)
743
11
0
13.
Michigan State (11-3)
717
10
0
14.
Clemson (10-4)
598
22
0
15.
Texas (8-5)
549
not ranked
0
16.
Nebraska (9-4)
501
24
0
17.
TCU (11-2)
499
13
0
18.
Stanford (11-2)
497
7
0
19.
Oklahoma State (12-1)
476
3
0
20.
Virginia Tech (11-3)
461
17
0
21.
Kansas State (10-3)
398
16
0
22.
Boise State (12-1)
271
6
0
23.
Florida (7-6)
250
not ranked
0
24.
Notre Dame (8-5)
166
not ranked
0
25.
Auburn (8-5)
66
not ranked
0
