LSU

The latest AP and Coaches polls feature a new No. 1 team after a thrilling, rollercoaster top-five showdown in Austin, Texas, in Week 2.

And LSU, now up a spot to No. 7 on each list, is poised for its own marquee, highly anticipated top-10 matchup packed with drama in Oxford, Miss., to headline the Week 3 slate.

Coach Lane Kiffin and his No. 7 Tigers (2-0) will hit the road for the first time to face his former team, SEC rival Ole Miss (2-0), which also moved up in each poll to No. 8 and No. 9 in the AP and Coaches, respectively.

Texas (2-0) overtook the top of each set of rankings after its 24-23 comeback to upend previous No. 1 Ohio State (1-1) with 21 unanswered points in the fourth quarter.

The Longhorns and No. 2 Georgia (2-0) lead six SEC teams in each top 10 along with LSU, Ole Miss, No. 8/9 Texas A&M (2-0) and No. 10 Alabama (2-0) and nine conference representatives in the top 25 with No. 15/14 Tennessee (2-0), No. 20/22 Missouri (2-0) and No. 24/21 Oklahoma (1-1).

Oklahoma, which lost at Michigan (2-0), was one of two major tumbles of 10-plus spots on each list, along with No. 21/18 Oregon (1-1) , which lost at Oklahoma State (1-1).

AP POLL — WEEK 3 (SEPT. 13)

1. Texas (2-0) — Up 3
2. Georgia (2-0) — Steady
3. Notre Dame (2-0) — Steady
4. Indiana (2-0) — Up 1
5. Miami (2-0) — Up 2
6. Ohio State (1-1) — Down 5
7. LSU (2-0) — Up 1
8. Ole Miss (2-0) — Up 1
9. Texas A&M (2-0) — Up 1
10. Alabama (2-0) — Up 2
11. BYU (2-0) — Up 4
12. USC (3-0) — Up 2
13. Texas Tech (2-0) — Steady
14. Penn State (2-0) — Up 2
15. Tennessee (2-0) — Up 3
16. SMU (2-0) — Up 1
17. Utah (2-0) — Up 3
18. Iowa (2-0) — Up 3
19. Michigan (2-0) — Previously unranked
20. Missouri (2-0) — Up 3
21. Oregon (1-1) — Down 15
22. Houston (2-0) — Steady
23. Louisville (1-1) — Up 1
24. Oklahoma (1-1) — Down 13
25. Virginia (2-0) — Steady

COACHES POLL — WEEK 3 (SEPT. 13)

1. Texas (2-0) — Up 2
2. Georgia (2-0) — Steady
3. Notre Dame (2-0) — Up 1
4. Indiana (2-0) — Up 1
5. Miami (2-0) — Up 2
6. Ohio State (1-1) — Down 5
7. LSU (2-0) — Up 1
8. Texas A&M (2-0) — Up 1
9. Ole Miss (2-0) — Up 2
10. Alabama (2-0) — Up 2
11. USC (3-0) — Up 3
12. Texas Tech (2-0) — Up 1
13. BYU (2-0) — Up 2
14. Tennessee (2-0) — Up 4
15. Penn State (2-0) — Up 1
16. SMU (2-0) — Up 1
17. Utah (2-0) — Up 3
18. Oregon (1-1) — Down 12
19. Michigan (2-0) — Up 5
20. Iowa (2-0) — Up 1
21. Oklahoma (1-1) — Down 11
22. Missouri (2-0) — Up 1
23. Houston (2-0) — Down 1
24. Washington (2-0) — Down 5
25. Virginia (2-0) — Steady

LSU appears poised to move forward without adding any of the players currently suing the NCAA and SEC for their final year of eligibility.

The Tigers reportedly added injured cornerback Aidan Anding (Ruston) and defensive end Gabriel Reliford (Evangel Christian) to finalize their 105-man roster without former Ole Miss standouts Dae’Quan Wright and Zxavian Harris, according to On3 national college sports reporter Wilson Alexander.

Coach Lane Kiffin and company’s decision to effectively lock their roster without further pushing the ongoing legal issue by adding or potentially playing Wright or Harris came on a day on which the SEC made headlines by amending a federal suit against LSU officials and referencing a vote to determine the university’s future with the conference.

The suit against Kiffin, athletic director Verge Ausberry, president Wade Rousse, the board of supervisors and Louisiana attorney general Liz Murrill is now slated to be heard at 1 p.m. Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Birmingham, Ala., with the SEC planning to meet Thursday to weigh LSU’s membership amid the escalating issue.

“Today, the Southeastern Conference, headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama, filed a request for a temporary restraining order in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama to protect the right of the Conference and its member institutions to govern themselves,” the conference released in a statement Tuesday. “The SEC and its member universities have the right to establish, through agreed-upon governance procedures, the rules under which they voluntarily compete and to expect those rules to be followed. A commitment to those rules, and to the core principles of the Southeastern Conference, is an essential element of SEC membership. Today’s filing is necessary to defend that right and preserve the Conference’s ability to govern competition among its members.”

The NCAA overhauled its eligibility system this summer, moving from a longtime system allowing only four years of eligibility outside of certain exceptions and waivers to instead a new “five-for-five” format in which student-athletes enrolling in college no later than the academic year after their 19th birthday would be eligible to participate in up to five years of competition during the next five years.

A series of lawsuits against the NCAA followed around the country challenging that the athletes who graduated high school in the 2022 class and had expired their eligibility under the previous system and moved on to fringe professional opportunities as a result should still be able to return to the college game for another year.

Judge William Jorden granted a temporary restraining order Aug. 18 in his 19th Judicial District court and heard the case this past Thursday as dozens of athletes, headlined by Wright and Harris, sought a preliminary injunction in their continued push back toward college competition.

While the issue is nationwide with dozens of cases in several states and spanning multiple sports, the often-controversial and outspoken Kiffin and the Tigers have become the lightning-rod face of the process as the coach has embraced the opportunity to improve the roster.

The SEC voted last Tuesday, Aug. 25, to ban athletes participating in the league after having declared for the NFL, NBA or WNBA draft and no appropriately withdrawn, signed a contract with the leagues or affiliates or been listed on the leagues’ (or affiliate leagues’) rosters.

The following day, potential penalties were announced that included a suspension of up to half the season for a program’s head coach, a fine up to as much as 50% of the sport’s annual operating budget, a loss of voting privilege on SEC matters and additional sanctions imposed by Sankey.

The conference was added to the players’ lawsuit as a result, which prompted the federal suit and a a trip by commissioner Greg Sankey’s trip to Baton Rouge.

Jorden ruled in the players’ favor, but issue as a whole and the tension around it only continue to build, including now the SEC’s federal suit and membership vote.

LSU players shared mixed perspectives this week on whether their 51-10 rout of Clemson to open the season Saturday was “a statement.”

Either way, voters in the AP and Coaches polls appeared to take away a clear message as the Tigers (1-0) leap-frogged three and five spots, respectively.

Coach Lane Kiffin’s squad is now the nation’s No. 8 team on both lists ahead of its game this week against in-state Louisiana Tech with a marquee matchup at No. 11/9 Ole Miss (1-0) looming in Week 3.

Ohio State (1-0) held its No. 1 ranking in each poll with SEC leaders Georgia (1-0) and Texas (1-0) now following at No. 2 and No. 3, respectively, in the AP and No. 2 and No. 4 in the Coaches after an Oregon (1-0) slide

Clemson, the preseason No. 23 on the Coaches, is now outside of both top 25’s with three votes in the Coaches and none in the AP.

Each poll once again includes at least nine SEC teams in the top 25 with Florida tying for No. 25 in the Coaches to mark a 10th on that list.

Check out the complete list below, including SEC programs in italics and LSU regular-season opponents in bold.

AP POLL — WEEK 2 (SEPT. 8)

1. Ohio State (1-0) — Steady
2. Georgia (1-0) — Up 1
3. Notre Dame (1-0) — Up 1
4. Texas (1-0) — Up 1
5. Indiana (1-0) — Up 1
6. Oregon (1-0) — Down 4
7. Miami (1-0) — Steady
8. LSU (1-0) — Up 3
9. Ole Miss (1-0) — Steady
10. Texas A&M (1-0) — Down 2
11. Oklahoma (1-0) — Down 1
12. Alabama (1-0) — Up 1
13. Texas Tech (1-0) — Down 1
14. USC (2-0) — Steady
15. BYU (1-0) — Down 1
16. Penn State (1-0) — Up 2
17. SMU (1-0) — Up 2
18. Tennessee (1-0) — Up 2
19. Washington (1-0) — Down 2
20. Utah (1-0) — Up 1
21. Iowa (1-0) — Up 1
22. Houston (1-0) — Up 1
23. Missouri (1-0) — Up 2
24. Louisville (0-1) — Steady
25. Virginia (1-0) — Previously unranked

COACHES POLL — WEEK 2 (SEPT. 8)

1. Ohio State (1-0) — Steady
2. Georgia (1-0) — Up 1
3. Texas (1-0) — Up 1
4. Notre Dame (1-0) — Up 1
5. Indiana (1-0) — Up 1
6. Oregon (1-0) — Down 4
7. Miami (1-0) — Steady
8. LSU (1-0) — Up 5
9. Texas A&M (1-0) — Down 1
10. Oklahoma (1-0) — Down 1
11. Ole Miss (1-0) — Down 1
12. Alabama (1-0) — Down 1
13. Texas Tech (1-0) — Down 1
14. USC (2-0) — Steady
15. BYU (1-0) — Steady
16. Penn State (1-0) — Up 1
17. SMU (1-0) — Up 3
18. Tennessee (1-0) — Steady
19. Washington (1-0) — Steady
20. Utah (1-0) — Up 1
21. Iowa (1-0) — Up 1
22. Houston (1-0) — Up 2
23. Missouri (1-0) — Up 2
24. Michigan (1-0) — Down 8
T-25. Virginia (1-0) — Previously unranked
T-25. Florida (1-0) — Previously unranked

The SEC bowed further up against LSU on Tuesday in the ongoing legal dispute over an additional year of eligibility for 2022 high school graduates.

The league filed an amended complaint, according to multiple national reports, to its lawsuit from this past Thursday against LSU coach Lane Kiffin, athletic director Verge Ausberry, president Wade Rousse and board of supervisors.

Among the updated complaint in the federal court in Birmingham, Ala., is a plan for conference officials to meet Thursday, as ESPN college football senior writer Pete Thamel wrote, “to decide whether to terminate LSU as an SEC member institution pursuant to Section 3.1.5 of the SEC Constitution and Bylaws, which gives the presidents the ‘plenary power and authority with respect to all affairs of the Conference of any type of nature whatsoever.'”

The maneuver is the latest in an escalation of legal challenges since the NCAA overhauled its eligibility system this summer and one the SEC called in a statement “necessary to defend the right and preserve Conference’s ability to govern competition among its members.”

This past Thursday, a Baton Rouge judge granted a preliminary injunction to players who had sued the NCAA and SEC in pursuit of a fifth year of competitive eligibility.

The ruling prohibits the NCAA and SEC from punishing any school that signs and plays the 42 athletes in the Louisiana lawsuit, including former Ole Miss and prospective LSU football players Dae’Quan Wright and Zxavian Harris.

“It’s not about coach (Lane Kiffin), it’s not about LSU — it’s about treating these kids fairly,” West Baton Rouge Parish district attorney Tony Clayton, representing the players’ case, told reporters that evening. “It’s about the fair application. If you’re gonna apply the rules, apply them fairly to everyone. So today justice was served, and justice was served to the SEC. It was served like a cold cup of gumbo, and that judge forced them to eat it.”

Kiffin and company ultimately did not roster Wright or Harris or former Utah cornerback Blake Cotton for the Tigers’ season opener against Clemson, but could still add them later.

But the SEC is not swallowing last week’s ruling without pursuing further avenues.

The NCAA overhauled its eligibility system this summer, moving from a longtime system allowing only four years of eligibility outside of certain exceptions and waivers to instead a new “five-for-five” format in which student-athletes enrolling in college no later than the academic year after their 19th birthday would be eligible to participate in up to five years of competition during the next five years.

A series of lawsuits against the NCAA followed around the country challenging that the athletes who graduated high school in the 2022 class and had expired their eligibility under the previous system and moved on to fringe professional opportunities as a result should still be able to return to the college game for another year.

Judge William Jorden granted a temporary restraining order Aug. 18 in his 19th Judicial District court and heard the case this past Thursday as dozens of athletes, headlined by Wright and Harris, sought a preliminary injunction in their continued push back toward college competition.

While the issue is nationwide with dozens of cases in several states and spanning multiple sports, the often-controversial and outspoken Kiffin and the Tigers have become the lightning-rod face of the process as the coach has embraced the opportunity to improve the roster.

The SEC voted last Tuesday, Aug. 25, to ban athletes participating in the league after having declared for the NFL, NBA or WNBA draft and no appropriately withdrawn, signed a contract with the leagues or affiliates or been listed on the leagues’ (or affiliate leagues’) rosters.

The following day, potential penalties were announced that included a suspension of up to half the season for a program’s head coach, a fine up to as much as 50% of the sport’s annual operating budget, a loss of voting privilege on SEC matters and additional sanctions imposed by Sankey.

The conference was added to the players’ lawsuit as a result, which prompted the federal suit and a a trip by commissioner Greg Sankey’s trip to Baton Rouge.

Jorden ruled in the players’ favor, but issue as a whole and the tension around it only continue to build, including now the particularly attention-grabbing reference to this Thursday’s voting plans.

LSU’s highly anticipated debut of the Lane Kiffin era fairly quickly proved worth the wait — even with its added two hours and change.

The storm clouds, heavy rain and lightning delays finally settled down. And, after a costly initial miscue, so did the Tigers.

No. 11 LSU (1-0) and often Tiger Stadium behind it roared to a 51-10 dismantling of Clemson that marked one heck of a first impression with a resurgent run game and disruptive defense particularly highlighting the festivities.

“That was a really good job by our players,” Kiffin said. “With all the questions about how would they be with what most people think are distractions, and they did a great job. I mean, you think about you come out, a quality ACC team, and screw up the first series and give ’em the ball and give three points, and then you go on a 51-0 run after that. That’s a lot of players’ focus. That’s a lot of players doing a really good job.”

The Tigers marched the ball up and down the field for a program-record 38 first downs and 644 yards, the most since Sept. 28, 2024, against South Alabama and most against a Power-Four opponents since Nov. 11, 2023, against Florida.

LSU hadn’t scored more than 25 points last season against an FBS opponent until its 38-35 Texas Bowl loss to Houston and hadn’t scored 50 against an FBS opponent since Nov. 18, 2023, against Georgia State or against a Power-Four opponent since Nov. 11, 2023 against Florida.

Clemson’s defeat marked the worst in coach Dabo Swinney’s 19 years leading the other Tigers, surpassing 37-point margins by West Virginia in the 2012 Orange Bowl and Florida State at home in 2013.

Running back Dilin Jones and quarterback Sam Leavitt needed just a handful of possessions to surpass any of the Tigers’ complete-game rushing performances last season.

Jones, the transfer from Wisconsin, showcased his decisiveness and strength and balance through contact with 23 carries for 113 yards and two touchdowns, including the team’s first of the season.

Leavitt, the Arizona State transfer who returned this summer from a Lisfranc injury, looked great scrambling his way to 113 yards and two scores on 12 carries as he and his receivers worked through some early kinks before finding more rhythm en route to a 16-for-28 night for 230 yards, one touchdown and an early interception.

“Looked like Lamar Jackson,” Jones smiled about Leavitt’s running ability. “I feel like it helps everybody. It helps out the receivers. He can roll out, still pass it. He can roll out, score. And then now, with the read-option, they’ve gotta play Sam too, so it helps out a lot.”

Clemson junior cornerback Ashton Hampton intercepted Leavitt on the night’s second play from scrimmage.

The LSU defense began its lights-out performance by allowing just 2 yards and a 49-yard Nolan Hauser field goal out of the field position, though.

And Jones, Leavitt, Kiffin, offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr. and company gradually got cooking.

The Tigers went 9-for-19 with an interception through the air in the first half, but found a better rhythm after the break to go 13-for-17 with two touchdowns the rest of the way.

Sophomore wide receiver Winston Watkins Jr., an Ole Miss transfer was the most consistent weapon down the field with seven catches for 110 yards and a score, and junior tight end Trey’Dez Green caught four passes for 58 yards

“Impressive first night by guys,” Kiffin said. “Sam Leavitt started a little slow and then played really well, which he’s done all camp, so that was good to see. A lot of credit to our players, our assistant coaches, really good game plans.”

LSU scored on six of their next eight possessions, including a 49-yard field goal by Arkansas transfer Scott Starzyk and Jones’ goal-line, direct-snap touchdown to cap the next two drives.

The defense stretched the lead to 17-3 on a beautifully dialed-up third-down play by coordinator Blake Baker on which linebacker Whit Weeks blitzed the middle and edge rusher Jordan Ross dropped back into the snatch to snatch a 30-yard pick-six.

“It definitely felt good,” Ross said. “Our defensive coordinator, Baker, drew it up perfectly. We ran through it at practice all the time. Like they’d say, ‘Big two, little two,’ and I just came up with the pick and scored a touchdown.”

Leavitt scrambled for 8- and 13-yard touchdowns in the second quarter, then dropped a nicely thrown downfield ball into a wide-open Watkins for a 32-yard strike midway through the third.

Jones out-ran a couple defenders, then powered over another couple for another 12-yard score to balloon the margin to 44-3.

And reserve quarterback Landen Clark, the transfer from Elon, hit former Destrehan star Phillip Wright III outside to unload his elite speed for the 30-yard score, the first of his college career, and spark a three-reception, 70-yard fourth quarter.

Clemson finally broke into LSU’s onslaught of 51 unanswered points with an 11-yard run by David Eziomume against reserve defenders in the final minutes.

The late score marked Swinney’s team’s only trip to the red zone the entire contest.

LSU only allowed its guests 145 yards, including 40 rushing, and just one third-down conversion in 13 attempts.

Weeks and veteran edge rusher Princewill Umanmielen, who transferred from Ole Miss, each finished with six tackles, and 1.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks, respectively.

Junior safety DaShawn Spears (Denham Springs) and linebacker T.J. Dottery, another key Ole Miss transfer, each had five tackles and 0.5 behind the line to further help lead the balanced effort.

Ross added four tackles, including two for loss and a sack, and a hurry to his interception, and veteran edge rusher Dylan Carpenter (St. Amant) had a sack and 1.5 tackles for loss.

And a slew of other players such as sophomore cornerback D.J. Pickett with his lockdown coverage and sophomore defensive tackle Dominick McKinley (Acadiana) with a particularly disruptive series of plays to force a three-and-out rose to the occasion in various ways and at different times.

This article will be updated further…

The ESPN “College GameDay” crew expects Lane Kiffin’s tenure at LSU to kick off Saturday not only successfully, but emphatically.

As the season-opening broadcast from Baton Rouge crescendoed shortly after 11 a.m., hosts Desmond Howard, Nick Saban and Pat McAfee and celebrity guest-picker Lainey Wilson all predicted the home Tigers to beat their visiting Clemson counterparts — and to do so handily.

“With all the controversy surrounding Lane Kiffin and LSU and the team, one thing that gets lost in this is that Lane Kiffin can coach his ass off, bro,” Howard began. “He came on the field, did an interview and he looked like he was confident. I asked him about his team, where are they mentally right now. He said they’re in a good space. There’s no way you’re gonna come in here with an inexperienced quarterback and go up against this defense that a scout told me has at least four first-rounders that Blake Baker has.

“I think that Clemson loses this game BIG to LSU tonight. Geaux Tigers.”

Saban said he expects Clemson to be a “much-improved team this year” that coach Dabo Swinney will have rebound from a disappointing season a year ago.

But just as fans surrounding the show set in LSU’s Quad began to groan in disapproval, Saban shared his forecast for the game and swiftly won back over a wave of cheers.

“But to me, LSU has too much firepower,” the former LSU and Alabama coach said. “They’ve got a good defensive team. Sam Leavitt‘s a good quarterback. Trey’Dez Green is a mismatch guy. If they can run the ball and create balance on offense, they’re gonna be one of the best teams in the country, so I’m taking LSU.”

Wilson, the country singer from Baskin decked out in purple and gold, joked that no one may know who’s going to be on the field come game time, but that she had no doubt which Tigers would be victorious as she continued to share her confidence in her home-state team as the eventual SEC and national champion.

And after she and McAfee led the fans into infamous “STTDB” chant, he toyed

“Everybody seemingly thinks that Lane Kiffin and his powerful roster are just gonna demolish the Clemson Tigers coming in here,” McAfee said. “Dabo Swinney has won a national champions before, I’ll have you know. Has Lane Kiffin done that as a head coach? No. No, he has not. Did Dabo Swinney find his team unranked for the first time in, like, forever this year? Did he use the transfer portal more than he ever has in the past? Did a name a veteran quarterback to be his starter? Does he have two weapons on the outside? Does the defense have a chance?

“I think NO! Give me LSU. Lane Kiffin with Sam Leavitt and Trey’Dez Green — Trey’Dez Green, 6-foot-7, 243. This guy’s unbelievable. I think he goes crazy. I think the defense goes crazy. And I think these fans, who have been drunk since 3 a.m. this morning, who have fought through a lightning storm to be out here and celebrate, I think they’re all gonna be in unison.”