BATON ROUGE — Florida may be competing in this year’s national title football game, but LSU has the top overall athletic ranking in the Southeastern Conference according to the SI.com Power Rankings, which were released on Friday.
The most recent installment of the SEC Power Rankings takes into account the sports that are currently in action, which includes football, men’s and women’s basketball, volleyball and swimming.
SI.com writer Nick Zaccardi said of LSU, “with everything that has happened on and off the field in Baton Rouge the last two years, it’s astonishing that the Tigers continue to lead the SEC in athletic achievement.
“In football, Coach Nick Saban bolted for the NFL. In comes Les Miles, and the Tigers are going BCS bowling in his second season. The men’s basketball team lost Tyrus Thomas as an early entry into the NBA Draft. But with Glen “Big Baby” Davis picking up the slack, the Tigers are proving that last season’s Final Four was no fluke.
“In women’s basketball, the girl with her own website, Seimone Augustus, left last season and became the first pick in the WNBA Draft. Enter a group led by Sylvia Fowles and the team is strong as ever — losing just once so far including a 24-point beatdown on Ohio State.”
Of the five sports that SI.com evaluated to determine its most recent power rankings, the Tigers have flourished in all five. LSU’s football team is ranked No. 4 in the nation and capped the regular season with a 10-2 overall mark. The Tigers will play in a BCS game for the third time in six years when the face 11th-ranked Notre Dame in the Allstate Sugar Bowl on Jan. 3.
In men’s basketball, the Tigers are off to a 6-2 start and are ranked No. 12 in the nation.
The Lady Tiger basketball team routed No. 17 Michigan State, 65-50, on Sunday to improve to 11-1 overall. The Lady Tigers, behind the play of player of the year candidate Sylvia Fowles, are currently ranked No. 7 in the nation.
The LSU volleyball team recently completed its most successful season in over a decade, going 26-6 overall and reaching the NCAA Tournament for a second straight season.
LSU swimming coach Adam Schmitt has turned around the Tiger program and currently has his men’s team ranked No. 24 in the nation. It’s the first national ranking for that program since the 2000 season.
SI.com SEC Power Rankings ? December 2006
1. LSU
2. Florida
3. Tennessee
4. Alabama
5. Georgia
6. Kentucky
7. Arkansas
8. Auburn
9. Ole Miss
10. South Carolina
11. Vanderbilt
12. Mississippi State