Alabama #2 Behind LSU in First Coaches Poll

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BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) - Despite its lopsided loss to Alabama in last January's BCS national title game, LSU will open the 2012 season ranked No. 1 in at least one poll.

LSU sits atop the USA Today Top 25 coaches poll released on Thursday, with Alabama second and Southern California third.

LSU received 18 first-place votes, slightly fewer that the 20 first-place votes for the Crimson Tide and 19 first-place votes for the Trojans. Still, the Tigers narrowly had the most overall points in the poll, which awards 25 points for a No. 1 vote down to one point for 25th.

Oklahoma and Oregon round out the top five, followed by Georgia, Florida State, Michigan, South Carolina and Arkansas.

LSU and Alabama, rivals in the Southeastern Conference, meet Nov. 3 in Baton Rouge.

Following is the Coaches Poll Top 25, number of first place votes in parentheses:

1 LSU (18)

2 Alabama (20)

3 USC (19)

4 Oklahoma (1)

5 Oregon

6 Georgia

7 Florida State (1)

8 Michigan

9 South Carolina

10 Arkansas

11 West Virginia

12 Wisconsin

13 Michigan State

14 Clemson

15 Texas

16 Nebraska

17 TCU

18 Stanford

19 Oklahoma State

20 Virginia Tech

21 Kansas State

22 Boise State

23 Florida

24 Notre Dame

25 Auburn