ESPN Releases FPI Top-25 Rankings Following Week 12 With LSU Football In The Mix

The LSU Tigers remain firmly in the ESPN FPI Top-25 rankings, snap three-game losing skid in Week 12.

Courtesy of LSU Tigers Football.

The LSU Tigers (6-4, 3-4 SEC) captured a Week 12 SEC victory over the Arkansas Razorbacks behind a strong day from sophomore quarterback Michael Van Buren Jr.

In his first start with the Bayou Bengals, Van Buren went 21-for-31 with 221 passing yards and a touchdown to lift LSU over Arkansas - snapping a three-game losing streak.

"It just feels great. My guys had my back the whole day, so it's an unbelievable feeling getting my first win in Tiger Stadium. [The SEC] is a hard place to get wins in. Going out there and fighting adversity to get the first win feels amazing," Van Buren said on Saturday.

The sophomore signal-caller provided a new element to the LSU Tigers after earning the start with Garrett Nussmeier sidelined with an abdominal injury.

“Continue to ascend. We told him this would be taken into consideration. We would invest in you, and we would develop you so that you become the best version of you going forth. I think he is an ascending player that continues to improve,” interim coach Frank Wilson said.

Courtesy of LSU Tigers Football.

Despite the win, the LSU Tigers still sit with a 6-4 record - dropping three consecutive losses prior - with the program set to once again be on the outside looking in for this week's AP Top-25 Poll.

But The Tigers remain squarely in the ESPN FPI Top-25 following the victory over Arkansas alongside multiple premier programs.

What do the ESPN FPI Top-25 Rankings look like after Week 12?

Here’s a look at the full FPI Top-25 this week:

1. Ohio State
2. Indiana
3. Oregon
4. Georgia
5. Notre Dame
6. Alabama
7. Utah
8. Texas Tech
9. Texas A&M
10. USC
11. Miami
12. Texas
13. Ole Miss
14. BYU
15. Oklahoma
16. Tennessee
17. Vanderbilt
18. Michigan
19. Mizzou
20. Penn State
21. Iowa
22. LSU
23. Washington
24. Auburn
25. SMU

Courtesy of LSU Football.

Michael Van Buren's Take: Week 12 Win

On preparing for the trick plays on the game-winning drive...

"It's the stuff we practice all week. We just went out there and executed; there's nothing else to it."

On the nerves he felt during the first couple of series...

"It's football. Sometimes you go out there and you have a slow start and have to settle in. We were able to fight through adversity."

LSU will return to action next Saturday night in Tiger Stadium with a non-conference matchup against the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers on the docket. Kickoff is set for 6:45 p.m. CT.

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