Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports
ESPN Senior Writer Mark Schlabach released a Way-Too-Early Top 25 for the 2016 season and pegged the LSU Tigers at No. 6.
quote:

6. LSU Tigers

2015 record: 9-3, 5-3 SEC

Returning starters: 9 offense, 9 defense, 1 special teams

Key losses: OT Vadal Alexander, LB Lamar Louis, LB Deion Jones, FS Jalen Mills, OT Jerald Hawkins

Post-spring outlook: The Tigers spent much of the spring battling injuries to several of their top-line players, but quarterback Brandon Harris' improvement is reason for optimism. With tailback Leonard Fournette and receivers Malachi Dupre and Travin Dural returning, Harris doesn't have to be Superman for LSU's offense to be effective. He only has to distribute the ball and not turn it over. LSU also spent the spring installing new defensive coordinator Dave Aranda's 3-4 scheme, which will be loaded with future NFL players.
1. Alabama Crimson Tide
2. Clemson Tigers
3. Michigan Wolverines
4. Florida State Seminoles
5. Oklahoma Sooners
6. LSU Tigers
7. Stanford Cardinal
8. Notre Dame Fighting Irish
9. Ohio State Buckeyes
10. Tennessee Volunteers
11. USC Trojans
12. Georgia Bulldogs
13. Ole Miss Rebels
14. Oklahoma State Cowboys
15. Michigan State Spartans
16. Washington Huskies
17. Houston Cougars
18. North Carolina Tar Heels
19. Oregon Ducks
20. TCU Horned Frogs
21. Texas A&M Aggies
22. UCLA Bruins
23. Iowa Hawkeyes
24. Miami Hurricanes
25. Louisville Cardinals
Filed Under: LSU Football

Comments

11 Comments
user avatar
This poll is garbage. Why is it that a 2* recruit automatically become a 4 or even 5* recruit once they sign with Bama? So these media pundits can continue to justify placing Bama in the #1 spot every year. 10 years ago they were doing the same thing with USC. The only thing different today is that they put Bama in USCs spot. LSU loses to Bama because we get out-coached. Les doesn't adjust from game to game. He implements the same plays and scheme Evey game regardless of the opponent.Even when the opponent starts to recognize what he's doing (Like Bama does every year) he still doesn't adjust. I like Les, I really do. But I hope this year he steps back and allows Cameron and Aranda to do the jobs they were brought in and paid to do...
Reply84 months
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A&M way too high at 21.
Reply84 months
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Wow Baylor has quickly disappeared from the top 15 or so of these "way too early" polls.
Reply84 months
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Agree with top 6. Michigan is only odd one, but I think they are in the mix at the end of the season. Stanford and Ohio State are too high, each loses at least 3 games this year.
Reply84 months
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Michigan at 3. LMBO
Reply84 months
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Oregon at 19. Bout damn time! It's only taken 15 years for the pollsters to figure out Oregon is soft.
Reply84 months
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Bammer!
Reply84 months
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I get it that Bama won it all last year, and they reload rather than rebuild, but I don't see any way in which they should be ranked 1 coming into this year. They lost too much on both sides of the ball.
Reply84 months
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I think they've earned the #1 spot in this meaningless poll.
84 months
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Disagree. All it is is acknowledgement that Saban is the best coach. They lose at least two this year.
84 months
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People say that "Bama won't be the same" every year and yet they still keep winning the NC. I think it is a safe pick to Bama on top for any reasonable analyst.
84 months
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