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Tigers Finish 13th in Final Poll; Too-Early 2017 Polls Out

Tigers check in at highest final AP ranking since 2011

By Billy Gomila

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Buffalo Wild Wings Citrus Bowl - LSU v Louisville Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images

With an epic national title game in the books and a new national champion, the Associated Press issued its final college football poll of the 2016 season. And while the No. 1 team is pretty easy to figure out, LSU checked in at 13th — the program’s highest final ranking since their national runner-up finish in 2011.

Here’s the full AP Poll to conclude the year:

  1. Clemson (3)
  2. Alabama (1)
  3. USC (9)
  4. Washington
  5. Oklahoma (7)
  6. Ohio State (2)
  7. Penn State (5)
  8. Florida State (10)
  9. Wisconsin (8)
  10. Michigan (6)
  11. Oklahoma State (13)
  12. Stanford (16)
  13. LSU (19)
  14. Florida (20)
  15. Western Michigan (12)
  16. Virginia Tech (18)
  17. Colorado (11)
  18. West Virginia (14)
  19. USF (25)
  20. Miami (NR)
  21. Louisville (15)
  22. Tennessee (NR)
  23. Utah (NR)
  24. Auburn (17)
  25. San Diego State (NR)

And of course, SUPER TERRIFIC WAY-TOO-EARLY Top-25s for the 2017 season are coming out, and to date LSU checks in at No. 9 in the SB Nation College Football one, and 13th in the USA Today poll.

The Tigers, pending Malachi Dupre’s decision on the NFL, will lose five starters on offense, but return some pretty experienced “backups” like Derrius Guice and DJ Chark, both of whom will have a chance to blossom with a new offensive coordinator in Matt Canada. Defensively, the Tigers lose seven definite starters, but will return a bonafide pass-rushing superstar in end/outside linebacker Arden Key, have a number of stud young talents ready to emerge like Devin White and Donte Jackson, and should have another talent infusing via recruiting.

We’ll see what that yields in Ed Orgeron’s first season running the program his way.