LSU Lands at No. 11 in Preseason AP Poll

BATON ROUGE, La. — LSU football enters Lane Kiffin’s first season as a ranked team, checking in at No. 11 in the preseason Associated Press poll released Monday.

The Tigers were already slotted at No. 13 in the preseason coaches poll. Both rankings put LSU on the edge of College Football Playoff contention heading into fall camp.

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Where the Tigers Landed Among the SEC’s Best

LSU sits behind five other SEC programs in the full AP Top 25, which shows No. 3 Georgia as the conference’s top-ranked team. Texas comes in at No. 5, followed by Texas A&M at No. 8, Ole Miss at No. 9 and Oklahoma at No. 10. Voters put nine SEC teams in the poll overall, more than any other conference.

LSU’s season opener, Clemson, didn’t crack the rankings but still pulled in the most support of any team outside the top 25. The Tigers from South Carolina drew 112 votes, well ahead of Florida’s 51 for the next-closest total outside the poll, LSU’s athletic department confirmed.

The Price Tag Behind the Preseason Hype

The ranking comes after a coaching change that cost LSU big money on both ends. The school fired Brian Kelly in October and owes him a $54 million buyout on his 10-year deal. That December, LSU signed Kiffin to a seven-year, $91 million contract, a term sheet obtained by Sportico shows.

Tyler Kaufman, Getty Images

Kiffin wasted little time reworking the roster once he arrived. LSU’s preseason buzz centers on quarterback Sam Leavitt, offensive tackle Jordan Seaton and safety Ty Benefield, three of nine top-100 transfer signees in a class Kiffin himself has called the best he’s ever put together, talent-wise.

A Schedule Stacked With Ranked SEC Opponents

LSU won’t get a break from ranked competition once conference play starts. Texas, Texas A&M and Ole Miss all sit in the AP’s top 10, and the Tigers will also face No. 13 Alabama and No. 20 Tennessee before the regular season ends.

Kiffin’s debut comes first, though, when Clemson visits Tiger Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 5, for a 6:30 p.m. kickoff on ABC. LSU beat Clemson on the road to open last season, and ESPN has already confirmed College GameDay will broadcast from Baton Rouge for the rematch.

What Happens Next for LSU

Last season didn’t go as planned. LSU finished 7-6 and missed the playoff entirely after opening the year ranked No. 9. This year’s No. 11 spot puts the Tigers back in that same borderline territory, and the money LSU spent on Kiffin and the transfer portal will get tested for the first time on Sept. 5 in Tiger Stadium.

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