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2012 College Football Rankings: Temple Unranked, Penn State Ineligible In USA Today Preseason Coaches' Poll

The Temple Owls failed to make an appearance on the 2012 USA Today Preseason Coaches' Poll while Penn State is ineligible to receive votes this season due to NCAA sanctions. LSU is named as the preseason No. 1 team, beating out Alabama and Southern California.

By Ken DeCelles
COLLEGE PARK, MD - SEPTEMBER 24: Running back Bernard Pierce #30 of the Temple Owls celebrates after the Owls defeated the Maryland Terrapins 38-7 at Byrd Stadium on September 24, 2011 in College Park, Maryland. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
COLLEGE PARK, MD - SEPTEMBER 24: Running back Bernard Pierce #30 of the Temple Owls celebrates after the Owls defeated the Maryland Terrapins 38-7 at Byrd Stadium on September 24, 2011 in College Park, Maryland. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
Getty Images

The USA Today Preseason Coaches' Poll was released early Thursday afternoon, and both the Temple Owls and the Penn State Nittany Lions failed to appear in the first poll of the 2012 season.

Penn State is ineligible to be a part of the Coaches' poll this season as they are in the midst of serving a four-year bowl ban due to sanctions brought forth from the Jerry Sandusky scandal. North Carolina and Ohio State are also ineligible to receive votes this year.

The Nittany Lions will face two ranked teams for the 2012 season, taking on Michigan (8th) and Nebraska (16th) in Big Ten play this year.

The Temple Owls do not face anyone in the Top 25, but face a number of teams in the "Also Receiving Votes" category in USF, Louisville, Rutgers and Cincinnati.

The LSU Tigers were namedas the as the top team in the Coaches' Poll, edging out Alabama and Southern California. Both teams had at least 18 first place votes, and there were only 15 votes difference between first and third.

The full Coaches' poll is below, with first place votes in parenthesis:

1. LSU (18) 13-1 1,403 2
2. Alabama (20) 12-1 1,399 1
3. Southern California (19) 10-2 1,388 NR
4. Oklahoma 10-3 1,276 15
5. Oregon 12-2 1,258 4
6. Georgia 10-4 1,061 20
7. Florida State 9-4 1,055 23
8. Michigan 11-2 1,023 9
9. South Carolina 11-2 981 8
10. Arkansas 11-2 948 5
11. West Virginia 10-3 833 18
12. Wisconsin 11-3 743 11
13. Michigan State 11-3 717 10
14. Clemson 10-4 598 22
15. Texas 8-5 549 NR
16. Nebraska 9-4 501 24
17. TCU 11-2 499 13
18. Stanford 11-2 497 7
19. Oklahoma State 12-1 476 3
20. Virginia Tech 11-3 461 17
21. Kansas State 10-3 398 16
22. Boise State 12-1 271 6
23. Florida 7-6 250 NR
24. Notre Dame 8-5 166 NR
25. Auburn 8-5 66 NR
Others receiving votes (with 2011 records)
Washington (7-6) 64; Louisville (7-6) 46; Georgia Tech (8-5) 35; Cincinnati (10-3) 32; Texas A&M (7-6) 28; Baylor (10-3) 23; Utah (8-5) 22; Mississippi State (7-6) 21; South Florida (5-7) 12; N.C. State (8-5) 11; BYU (10-3) 10; Louisiana Tech (8-5) 10; Virginia (8-5) 9; Houston (13-1) 7; Southern Mississippi (12-2) 6; Central Florida (5-7) 5; Rutgers (9-4) 5; Florida International (8-5) 3; Missouri (8-5) 3; Tennessee (5-7) 3; Northern Illinois (11-3) 2; Texas Tech (5-7) 1.

For more on the Penn State Nittany Lions, make sure to visit Black Shoe Diaries and SB Nation Philly for more on Penn State and the Temple Owls.