‘Sporting News’ bets LSU beats USC in BCS title game in Miami

Despite the Tigers’ drubbing by Alabama in the 2012 BCS title game in January, Sporting News has again ranked LSU
No. 1—the second year in a row—in its preseason poll. Sporting News says, “We did what only the most highly trained experts would do in a situation like this: looked the other way. Buried our heads in the sand. Basically pretended the whole thing never happened. They were our preseason No. 1 last time out and, hey, they didn’t exactly leave egg on our faces, winning 13 games and climbing onto the big stage in New Orleans ranked at the top of every national poll. In fact, six teams in our 2011 preseason top 10 ended up in BCS games.” In the new poll, USC is ranked No. 2 and Alabama is No. 3. The site says LSU “is too good—and has too much motivation from last season—not to reach the national title game again. These Tigers are more talented than the team that won the 2007 national title, and if quarterback Zach Mettenberger can play smart and limit turnovers, no one will beat them.” To read more, click here.