TIGER RAG NEWS SERVICES

LSU was ranked No. 11 in the preseason AP Poll. The Tigers were the ninth-ranked team in last season’s preseason poll before a disappointing 7-6 season left them unranked at the end of the year.

LSU’s potential path to the College Football Playoff will go through five ranked opponents, three of which are in the top 10. The Tigers’ season opener versus Clemson on Sept. 5 will not be a ranked matchup, as Dabo Swinney’s Tigers landed as the first team out of the top 25. It is the first time Clemson has missed out on the preseason ranking since 2011.

BREAKING: Preseason College Football AP Poll🚨https://t.co/JL3USE6MnT pic.twitter.com/wImUOmUUg5

— On3 (@On3) August 17, 2026

LSU plays back-to-back ranked games against No. 9 Ole Miss Sept. 19 and No. 8 Texas A&M Sept. 26.

The ranked gauntlet resumes when the Tigers host No. 13 Alabama on Nov. 7. A visit from No. 5 Texas on Nov. 14 and a trip to No. 20 Tennessee on Nov. 21 make it three consecutive top 20 matchups that could decide LSU’s postseason.

There are nine SEC teams in the top 25, the most of any conference followed by the Big Ten with eight.

Full AP Top 25

1. Ohio State
2. Oregon
3. Georgia
4. Notre Dame
5. Texas
6. Indiana
7. Miami
8. Texas A&M
9. Mississippi
10. Oklahoma
11. LSU
12. Texas Tech
13. Alabama
14. BYU
15. USC
16. Michigan
17. Washington
18. Penn State
19. SMU
20. Tennessee
21. Utah
22. Iowa
23. Houston
24. Louisville
25. Missouri

Others Receiving votes:

Clemson 112, Florida 51, Boise State 43, Arizona 32, TCU 11, Navy 10, South Carolina 10, Illinois 9, Oklahoma State 8, Vanderbilt 8, Pittsburgh 7, Virginia Tech 6, Minnesota 5, UNLV 4, New Mexico 4, Georgia Tech 4, Louisiana 4, James Madison 3, Auburn 3, Memphis 2, California 2, Liberty 1, Western Michigan 1, Tulane 1, Virginia 1