Despite a 44-0 thrashing of Middle Tennessee, a team that put up 42 points the previous week on No. 9 Louisville, LSU remained No. 2 in both polls this week.
The Tigers (3-0) received eight first-place votes and a total of 1,438 points in this week’s USA Today/Coaches Poll, one point more than they received a week ago but three fewer first-place votes.
Dating back to the start of the 2003 season, a year in which LSU won its first national championship since 1959, the Tigers have been ranked in the Coaches Poll for 71 straight weeks and in the Associated Press Poll for 70 consecutive weeks.
USC remained at No. 1 in both polls, recouping six first place votes in the AP Poll and two in the USA Today poll after defeating No. 14 ranked Nebraska 49-31.
The Trojans improved their record to 2-0, with the first victory being a 38-10 decision against Idaho.
Most media pundits, including ESPN’s Lee Corso, Chris Fowler and Kirk Herbstreit were enamored with the Trojans’ victory over the Huskers.
But Ervin Hughes, kineseology sports studies junior, is one student not impressed by the Trojans on-field performance and said influences off the field keep USC high in the polls.
“I feel USC usually gets the nod because of its popularity, not to mention it’s in L.A., the No. 2 media city in the United States,” Hughes said. “LSU deserves to be ranked No. 1, especially after holding three quality opponents to a combined 7 points. There is no bias because I’m an LSU student, either; my opinion is simply based on performance.”
Daniel Francis, a defensive back and key special teams player on the Tigers’ 2006 Sugar Bowl winning squad, said this year’s team may be better than this past season’s team, which produced four first rounders in the 2007 NFL draft.
Francis noted the only way to truly know which team is the No. 1 team in the country is to play head to head, but from what he has seen so far this season, the Tigers should have top billing.
“They’ve showed a big improvement from last season,” Francis said. “All the younger guys from last season are big timing this year and stepping up, and I don’t see why they couldn’t move up to No. 1.”
The Tigers will have their chance to regain some votes this weekend when they host coach Steve Spurrier and No. 12 South Carolina Saturday at 2:30 p.m. on CBS.
—-Contact Jeff Martin at [email protected]