By Fitzgerald Cecilio

Baton Rouge, LA

LSU has been installed as favorite in the USA TODAY Sports Coaches' Poll, garnering 18 first-place votes to edge national champion Alabama.

The Tigers hauled a total of 1,403 points from coaches around the nation to start the season as No. 1 while the Crimson Tide compiled just 1,399 with 16 first-place votes to place second.

"We are fortunate to be at a place that allows you to compete for that (No. 1) spot," LSU coach Les Miles said in a statement. "We recognize that it No. 1 ranking is more of a reflection of a body of work and understand that right now, it's a spot that we hold and not one that has been earned. It's a position that we enjoy. Now we have to go out and play in order to keep it."

The Tigers have 15 starters returning from last year's team, which finished 13-1. LSU won the SEC title last season but lost the BCS title game to Alabama. Among the returning starters are All-Americans cornerback Tyrann Mathieu, defensive end Sam Montgomery and punter Brad Wing.

University of Southern California gathered one more first-place votes than the Tigers but landed third with 1,388 points. The Trojans recently signed Silas Redd from Penn State.

Oklahoma, last year's No. 1, got one first-place vote to land fourth followed by Oregon, Georgia, Florida State, Michigan, South Carolina and Arkansas.

The Southeastern Conference, which has won the past six BCS Championship Games, has five of the nation's top 10 teams and seven teams in the preseason poll. The

The Big 12 also has seven teams, but only one in the top 10 while its two newcomers -- West Virginia and TCU -- are ranked 11th and 17th, respectively. The Big 10, Pac-12 and ACC have three each. Boise State is 22nd and Notre Dame 24th in the initial rankings.

The Big East was shut out for the second straight year.

 

 

Coaches Pick LSU as Preseason College Football Number 1