(RNN) - The winner and loser of last year's BCS National Championship Game are ranked first and second in the 2012 USA TODAY Sports college football Coaches' Poll – in reverse order.
LSU, which beat Alabama in the regular season but lost 21-0 in the national title rematch, will start the year as the top-ranked team. Alabama is second. Three other Top 10 teams are also from the Southeastern Conference, which has produced the last six national champions.
LSU got 18 first-place votes, two fewer than Alabama, but edged into the top spot with 1,403 points to 1,399 for Bama in the poll selected by the board of 59 head coaches at Bowl Subdivision schools.
Third-place Southern California received 19 first-place votes and Oklahoma is fourth, followed by Oregon, Georgia, Florida State, Michigan, South Carolina and Arkansas. Oklahoma and Florida State each got one first-place vote.
LSU returns six starters on offense and six on a nationally ranked defense, including 2011 Heisman Trophy finalist, defensive back and return specialist Tyrann Mathieu. The Tigers won the SEC title last year and finished 13-1.
2012 USA Today Preseason Coaches Poll Top 25
Rank
|
Team |
(First place votes) |
Record |
Points |
| 1 |
LSU |
(18) |
13-1 |
1,403 |
| 2 |
Alabama |
(20) |
12-1 |
1,399 |
| 3 |
Southern California |
(19) |
10-2 |
1,388 |
| 4 |
Oklahoma |
(1) |
10-3 |
1,276 |
| 5 |
Oregon |
|
12-2 |
1,258 |
| 6 |
Georgia |
|
10-4 |
1.061 |
| 7 |
Florida State |
(1) |
9-4 |
1,055 |
| 8 |
Michigan |
|
11-2 |
1,025 |
| 9 |
South Carolina |
|
11-2 |
981 |
| 10 |
Arkansas |
|
11-2 |
948 |
| 11 |
West Virginia |
|
10-3 |
833 |
| 12 |
Wisconsin |
|
11-3 |
743 |
| 13 |
Michigan State |
|
11-3 |
717 |
| 14 |
Clemson |
|
10-4 |
598 |
| 15 |
Texas |
|
8-5 |
549 |
| 16 |
Nebraska |
|
9-4 |
501 |
| 17 |
TCU |
|
11-2 |
499 |
| 18 |
Stanford |
|
11-2 |
499 |
| 19 |
Oklahoma State |
|
12-1 |
476 |
| 20 |
Virginia Tech |
|
11-3 |
461 |
| 21 |
Kansas State |
|
10-3 |
398 |
| 22 |
Boise State |
|
12-1 |
271 |
| 23 |
Florida |
|
7-6 |
250 |
| 24 |
Notre Dame |
|
8-5 |
166 |
| 25 |
Auburn |
|
8-5 |
66 |
|
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|
Copyright 2012 Raycom News Network. All rights reserved.
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