Preseason rankings are used to gauge how teams are expected to perform during the season, and college football relies heavily on the preseason AP Top 25 rankings to project outcomes.
Unpredictability, however, often becomes the story as the season progresses.
In 2022, LSU was overlooked in preseason rankings, but made it to the SEC championship. TCU was unranked but climbed to a national championship appearance, and in 2021, Michigan was the first team to make the College Football Playoff after starting the season unranked.
On the other hand, many teams are over-ranked in the preseason and end up tanking. Texas A&M, Oklahoma and Baylor ranked in the 2022 preseason top 10, but finished out of the top 25.
These performances prove success or failure is often unforeseeable.
With LSU sitting at No. 5 in the 2023 preseason AP Top 25 in Brian Kelly’s second season with the Tigers, all eyes will be on the team’s performance with its high placement in the poll.
How have other LSU teams ranked in the preseason top 10 fared?
Since 1959, LSU has made 19 appearances in the preseason top 10. Of those rankings, it recorded 10 finishes in the top 10 with national championship appearances in four of those years.
The Tigers finished unranked five times after starting the season in the top 10. Of the two national championship teams this decade, LSU started each preseason ranked in the top 10 at second and sixth.
LSU has been ranked in the Preseason AP Top Five eight times, finishing in the top five four of those years. The Tigers have never finished unranked after starting the season in the top five.
LSU’s finishes over the past 15 years after starting in the top 10:
Looking at LSU teams ranked in the preseason AP top 10 over the past 15 years, here is a deeper dive into how they performed.
Best finishes:
2007 season – coached by Les Miles
Preseason ranking: No. 2
Finished: No. 1 (12-2), beat Ohio State 38-24 in BCS National Championship
2011 season – coached by Les Miles
Preseason ranking: No. 4
Finished: No. 2 (13-1), lost to Alabama 21-0 in BCS National Championship
2019 season – coached by Ed Orgeron
Preseason ranking: No. 6
Finished: No. 1 (15-0), beat Clemson 42-25 in CFP National Championship
Finishes below preseason ranking:
2008 season – coached by Les Miles
Preseason ranking: No. 7
Finished: Not ranked (8-5)
2012 season – coached by Les Miles
Preseason ranking: No. 3
Finished: No. 14 (10-3)
2016 season – coached by Les Miles (2-2), Ed Orgeron (6-2)
Preseason ranking: No. 5
Finished: No. 13 (8-4)
2020 season – coached by Ed Orgeron (COVID-19 year)
Preseason ranking: No. 6
Finished: Not ranked (5-5)
Though coaches and players change, LSU is hardly ever counted out of the hunt for an SEC title or national championship. This season, the Tigers have a chance to add to the storied history of LSU teams that topped the college polls from start to finish.
Will they do it?
