Where Vanderbilt football’s Clark Lea voted Tennessee in final coaches poll and rest of top 25

January 22, 2025College Football

Clark Lea showed love for a few teams on Vanderbilt football’s 2024 schedule in his final vote for the US LBM Coaches Poll.

Lea’s vote was notably higher on both Missouri and LSU than the consensus. Lea ranked Missouri No. 13 compared to its No. 20 ranking in the final poll. LSU was No. 22 in Lea’s poll and unranked in the full poll.

The Commodores lost to Missouri, 30-27, in double overtime in 2024. They lost to LSU, 24-17.

As for another SEC opponent, Tennessee, Lea ranked the Vols at No. 8, which is also where they finished in the final poll. However, while Tennessee was below Arizona State in the final poll, Lea’s rankings had the Vols just below Indiana. Tennessee and Indiana both lost in the first round of the College Football Playoff.

Lea ranked Clemson, the ACC champion, far below what most polls did. The Tigers were No. 12 in the final poll but No. 17 in Lea’s final ballot, below several non-Playoff teams.

Among SEC teams that did not qualify for the College Football Playoff, Lea ranked Ole Miss the highest at No. 12, followed by Missouri (13), Alabama (19), South Carolina (21) and LSU (22).

Here is how Lea voted in the final US LBM Coaches Poll of the season:

TRANSFER PORTAL Evaluating Vanderbilt football’s transfer portal gains, losses for Clark Lea’s 2025 roster

Clark Lea’s final US LBM Coaches Poll ballot

Ohio State

Notre Dame

Texas

Oregon

Penn State

Georgia

Indiana

Tennessee

Boise State

Arizona State

SMU

Ole Miss

Missouri

BYU

Iowa State

Illinois

Clemson

Syracuse

Alabama

Miami (Fla.)

South Carolina

LSU

UNLV

Memphis

Kansas State

Final US LBM Coaches Poll rankings