Eight months after finishing a magical season atop the collegiate football world, LSU will have a slightly better vantage point over a year ago when they begin this season.
The Tigers, who competed the school’s first 15-0 season and won the school’s fourth national championship, are ranked No. 5 in the Amway Coaches’ Top 25 Preseason Poll that was released Thursday.
LSU was ranked sixth in last year’s preseason poll and concluded the season Jan. 13 with a 42-25 victory over Clemson in the national championship game in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans.
Clemson garnered top billing Thursday with 38 first-place votes and 1,585 total points. They were followed by No. 2 Ohio State with 17 first-place votes, No. 3 Alabama with four first-place votes and No. 4 Georgia.
LSU, which had 14 starters taken in the NFL Draft and six other sign free-agent contracts, received six first-place votes and had 1,330 points. The Tigers defeated Clemson, Alabama and Georgia en route to winning the national championship behind Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Joe Burrow.
The No. 5 ranking is the highest preseason mark in the coaches’ poll for LSU since its No. 1 ranking in 2012. The Tigers have been ranked in the Top 10 of the poll 14 times since 1998, including a stretch of six consecutive years between 2004-09.
Reigning national champion LSU is scheduled to open the 2020 season Sept. 26 and play a 10-game conference-only schedule which will feature games that are still be determined against No. 3 Alabama, No. 8 Florida, No. 11 Auburn, No. 13 Texas A&M and Mississippi State which received nine votes.
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