Defending SEC champion LSU will look to prove their preseason ranking to be right (Photo: Parker Waters).
Three schools are considered worthy of the top ranking by FBS college football coaches. But it is LSU that will take that honor into the 2012 season.
Despite having fewer first place votes than both defending BCS champion Alabama (20) and USC (19), the Tigers of Les Miles edged out the Crimson Tide and Trojans for the top spot in the preseason USA Today coaches poll announced Thursday morning.
Reigning SEC champion LSU received 18 first place votes and four more overall points in the poll made up of 59 FBS head coaches as voters including Miles, Alabama's Nick Saban and USC's Lane Kiffin.
USC was ineligible to be in the poll last season due to NCAA probation. The Trojans are joined by Texas, Florida, Notre Dame and Auburn as schools in the preseason rankings who were not in the final poll last season.
The SEC boasts five schools in the top 10 with Georgia (6th), South Carolina (9th) and Arkansas (10th) joining the top two schools. Auburn (23rd) and Florida are the other ranked schools from the league.
Louisiana Tech, winners of the WAC title last year, makes the list among others receiving votes outside the Top 2
Thursday marked the first day of preseason practice for LSU where players reported Wednesday.
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Aug. 2, 2012 — preseason poll
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Rank
|
Team (first-place votes) |
Record
|
Points
|
Final 2011 rank
|
|
|
1.
|
LSU (18)
|
13-1
|
1,403
|
2
|
|
|
2.
|
Alabama (20)
|
12-1
|
1,399
|
1
|
|
|
3.
|
Southern California (19)
|
10-2
|
1,388
|
NR
|
|
|
4.
|
Oklahoma |
10-3
|
1,276
|
15
|
|
|
5.
|
Oregon |
12-2
|
1,258
|
4
|
|
|
6.
|
Georgia
|
10-4
|
1,061
|
20
|
|
|
7.
|
Florida State |
9-4
|
1,055
|
23
|
|
|
8.
|
Michigan |
11-2
|
1,023
|
9
|
|
|
9.
|
South Carolina
|
11-2
|
981
|
8
|
|
|
10.
|
Arkansas
|
11-2
|
948
|
5
|
|
|
11.
|
West Virginia
|
10-3
|
833
|
18
|
|
|
12.
|
Wisconsin |
11-3
|
743
|
11
|
|
|
13.
|
Michigan State
|
11-3
|
717
|
10
|
|
|
14.
|
Clemson |
10-4
|
598
|
22
|
|
|
15.
|
Texas |
8-5
|
549
|
NR
|
|
|
16.
|
Nebraska |
9-4
|
501
|
24
|
|
|
17.
|
TCU |
11-2
|
499
|
13
|
|
|
18.
|
Stanford |
11-2
|
497
|
7
|
|
|
19.
|
Oklahoma State |
12-1
|
476
|
3
|
|
|
20.
|
Virginia Tech |
11-3
|
461
|
17
|
|
|
21.
|
Kansas State |
10-3
|
398
|
16
|
|
|
22.
|
Boise State |
12-1
|
271
|
6
|
|
|
23.
|
Florida |
7-6
|
250
|
NR
|
|
|
24.
|
Notre Dame |
8-5
|
166
|
NR
|
|
|
25.
|
Auburn |
8-5
|
66
|
NR
|
|
|
|
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| Others receiving votes (with 2011 records) | |||||
| Washington (7-6) 64; Louisville (7-6) 46; Georgia Tech (8-5) 35; Cincinnati (10-3) 32; Texas A&M (7-6) 28; Baylor (10-3) 23; Utah (8-5) 22; Mississippi State (7-6) 21; South Florida (5-7) 12; N.C. State (8-5) 11; BYU (10-3) 10; Louisiana Tech (8-5) 10; Virginia (8-5) 9; Houston (13-1) 7; Southern Mississippi (12-2) 6; Central Florida (5-7) 5; Rutgers (9-4) 5; Florida International (8-5) 3; Missouri (8-5) 3; Tennessee (5-7) 3; Northern Illinois (11-3) 2; Texas Tech (5-7) 1. | |||||
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The USA TODAY Board of Coaches is made up of 59 head coaches at Bowl Subdivision schools. All are members of the American Football Coaches Association. The board for the 2012 season: David Bailiff, Rice; Frank Beamer, Virginia Tech; Tim Beckman, Illinois; Bret Bielema, Wisconsin; Terry Bowden, Akron; Art Briles, Baylor; Troy Calhoun, Air Force; Matt Campbell, Toledo; Gene Chizik, Auburn; Dave Christensen, Wyoming; Mark Dantonio, Michigan State; Tim DeRuyter, Fresno State; Dave Doeren, Northern Illinois; Sonny Dykes, Louisiana Tech; Jimbo Fisher, Florida State; Kyle Flood, Rutgers; James Franklin, Vanderbilt; Al Golden, Miami (Fla.); Jim Grobe, Wake Forest; Darrell Hazell, Kent State; Brady Hoke, Michigan; Dana Holgorsen, West Virginia; Skip Holtz, South Florida; Mark Hudspeth, Louisiana-Lafayette; Curtis Johnson, Tulane; Ellis Johnson, Southern Miss; Butch Jones, Cincinnati; Brian Kelly, Notre Dame; Lane Kiffin, Southern California; Mike Leach, Washington State; Pete Lembo, Ball State; Tony Levine, Houston; Mike London, Virginia; Rocky Long, San Diego State; Dan McCarney, North Texas; Mike MacIntyre, San Jose State; Ruffin McNeill, East Carolina; Gus Malzahn, Arkansas State; Bronco Mendenhall, BYU; Les Miles, LSU; George O'Leary, Central Florida; Paul Pasqualoni, Connecticut; Bo Pelini, Nebraska; Chris Petersen, Boise State; Joker Phillips, Kentucky; Paul Rhoads, Iowa State; Mark Richt, Georgia; Mike Riley, Oregon State; Rich Rodriguez, Arizona; Nick Saban, Alabama; Steve Sarkisian, Washington; Frank Solich, Ohio; Steve Spurrier, South Carolina; Rick Stockstill, Middle Tennessee; Bob Stoops, Oklahoma; Dabo Swinney, Clemson; Jeff Tedford, California; Tommy Tuberville, Texas Tech; Kevin Wilson, Indiana. AFCA policy bars schools under major NCAA or conference sanctions from receiving votes. Schools affected this season are North Carolina, Ohio State and Penn State. Central Florida will remain eligible until the NCAA rules on the school's appeal. |
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