Today, the new pre-season USA TODAY Sports Coaches’ Poll was released and it has LSU atop of the bunch, with Alabama and USC nipping at their heels. Get ready for some football, folks.
“We are fortunate to be at a place that allows you to compete for that (No. 1) spot,” LSU coach Les Miles told USA TODAY Sports in a statement. “We recognize that it (No. 1 ranking) is more of a reflection of a body of work and understand that right now, it’s a spot that we hold and not one that has been earned. It’s a position that we enjoy. Now we have to go out and play in order to keep it.”
|
Aug. 2, 2012 — preseason poll
|
|||||
|
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.
|
10-4
|
1,061
|
20
|
||
|
7.
|
Florida State |
9-4
|
1,055
|
23
|
|
|
8.
|
Michigan |
11-2
|
1,023
|
9
|
|
|
9.
|
11-2
|
981
|
8
|
||
|
10.
|
11-2
|
948
|
5
|
||
|
11.
|
10-3
|
833
|
18
|
||
|
12.
|
Wisconsin |
11-3
|
743
|
11
|
|
|
13.
|
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
|
|
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.
Story via USA Today
