LSU Athletic Communications
BATON ROUGE – LSU opens the Lane Kiffin era ranked No.13 in the USA Today Preseason Coaches Poll, the organization announced on Tuesday.
The No. 13 ranking marks the 25th time in 27 years, dating back to 2000, the Tigers enter a season ranked in the Top 25. LSU’s season-opening opponent Clemson is ranked No. 23. LSU and Clemson meet on Saturday, Sept. 5 at 6:30 p.m. in Death Valley.
Over the 27-year span, the only seasons in which LSU wasn’t ranked in the preseason Top 25 came in 2000 (Nick Saban’s first year) and 2022 (Brian Kelly’s first year).
The Top 25 matchup between LSU and Clemson will mark the first time since 1988 that a ranked LSU team will host a ranked opponent in the season-opener in Tiger Stadium. The last time it happened came on Sept. 3, 1988 when No. 18 LSU blanked No. 10 Texas A&M, 27-0.
Other LSU opponents in the USA Today Preseason Top 25 include: No. 4 Texas, No. 8 Texas A&M, No. 10 Ole Miss, No. 11 Alabama, and No. 18 Tennessee. LSU faces Texas, Texas A&M and Alabama in Tiger Stadium, while the Tigers will travel to face Ole Miss and Tennessee.
Ohio State is ranked No. 1, followed by Oregon, Georgia, Texas and Notre. Dame. The Top 10 is rounded out with Indiana, Miami, Texas A&M, Oklahoma and Ole Miss.
The SEC has nine of its 16 teams in the Top 25 with Missouri holding the final spot in the poll at No. 25.
LSU opens fall camp on Wednesday.