BATON ROUGE — The LSU football team will enter the 2001 season ranked 17th in ESPN/USA Today Coaches Top 25, the highest of any SEC West program, according to the preseason rankings released Thursday evening.
It marks the first time since the 1998 season when the Tigers opened with a No. 8-ranking that they enter a season ranked in the top 25.
The SEC had the most teams in ESPN/USA Today Coaches Top 25 of any conference with six led by Florida, which grabbed the top spot in the nation. The PAC-10 and Big 12 each had four apiece.
Florida received 25 first place votes to lead a jam-packed group that saw nine of the top 10 teams receive first place votes. Miami, which defeated Florida in the Sugar Bowl a year ago, sits No. 2 followed by defending national champion Oklahoma at No. 3. Tennessee is the only other SEC school to appear in the top 10, holding the No. 7 spot.
Other SEC schools in the top 25 are 19th-ranked Mississippi State, 22nd-ranked South Carolina and 25th-ranked Alabama.
LSU, which opens its 108th season of play on Sept. 1 at home against Tulane, will have four dates with preseason top 25 teams, only one will be at home, however. The Tigers host No. 1 Florida on Oct. 7, a week after traveling to No. 7 Tennessee.
The Tigers also have road dates at No. 19 Mississippi State on Oct. 20 and No. 25 Alabama on Nov. 3.
2001 ESPN/USA Today Coaches Preseason Top 25
Rank Team 2000 Record Points 2000 Final Ranking
1. Florida (25) 10-3 1,401 11
2. Miami (Fla.) (15) 11-1 1,349 2
3. Oklahoma (8) 13-0 1,314 1
4. Nebraska (6) 10-2 1,292 7
5. Florida State (1) 11-2 1,249 4
6. Texas (2) 9-3 1,164 12
7. Tennessee (1) 8-4 1,042 25
8. Oregon 10-2 1,038 9
9. Virginia Tech 11-1 899 6
10. Michigan (1) 9-3 856 15
11. Kansas State 11-3 844 8
12. Oregon State 11-1 796 5
13. Georgia Tech 9-3 706 19
14. Washington 11-1 652 3
15. UCLA 6-6 547 NR
16. Notre Dame 9-3 534 16
17. LSU 8-4 515 NR
18. Clemson 9-3 503 14
19. Mississippi State 8-4 481 22
20. Northwestern 8-4 366 NR
21. Ohio State 8-4 259 NR
22. South Carolina 8-4 258 21
23. Wisconsin 9-4 204 24
24. Colorado State 10-2 168 15
25. Alabama 3-8 131 NR
Also receiving votes
Purdue 120; Georgia 109; Auburn 93; Colorado 92; East Carolina 59; Louisville 51; Texas A&M 47; Pittsburgh 42; Southern California 41; North Carolina State 39; Penn State 31; TCU 27; Stanford 26; Marshall 23; Southern Mississippi 19; Fresno State 15; Brigham Young 14; UNLV 12; Michigan State 11; Minnesota 9; Illinois 8; Arkansas 7; Iowa State 7; Mississippi 7; Toledo 7; Texas-El Paso 4; Texas Tech 3; West Virginia 3; Western Michigan 2; Air Force 1; Duke 1; North Carolina 1; Syracuse 1.