Tigers Tumble In Latest Polls

by TigerNet Staff - Tue Sep 02 13:08:11 GMT-04:00 2008

CLEMSON -- Clemson falls out of the top 10 after a 34-10 loss to Alabama on Saturday but still remains in the the top 25 in the latest USA Today Coaches' Poll. Clemson was ranked ninth in the preseason Associated Press and US Today college football polls released on August 16. It is the highest preseason ranking for the Tigers program since 1991 when Clemson was also ninth.

The preseason poll has not been much of an indicator for Clemson in the last few years. Each of the last three years Clemson has not been ranked in the preseason poll (2003, 2005, 2007), Clemson has finished in the top 25 of both polls. Each of the last two years Clemson was ranked in the preseason top 25 (2001 and 2006), the Tigers have not finished in the top 25.

USA Today Coaches' Top 25

1. Southern California (23) 1-0 1,462 2

2. Georgia (20) 1-0 1,442 1

3. Ohio State (10) 1-0 1,385 3

4. Oklahoma (2) 1-0 1,344 4

5. Florida (3) 1-0 1,295 5

6. LSU (3) 1-0 1,202 6

7. Missouri 1-0 1,197 7

8. West Virginia 1-0 1,035 8

9. Texas 1-0 1,030 10

10. Auburn 1-0 962 11

11. Wisconsin 1-0 853 12

12. Kansas 1-0 820 13

13. Texas Tech 1-0 732 14

14. Arizona State 1-0 679 16

15. Brigham Young 1-0 629 17

16. Oregon 1-0 566 20

17. Alabama 1-0 538 NR

18. South Florida 1-0 480 21

19. Penn State 1-0 450 22

20. Wake Forest 1-0 388 23

21. Fresno State 1-0 269 25

22. Clemson 0-1 186 9

23. Utah 1-0 158 NR

24. South Carolina 1-0 134 NR

25. Illinois 0-1 92 19

Dropped out: No. 15 Virginia Tech (0-1, lost to East Carolina 27-22), No. 18 Tennessee (0-1, lost to UCLA 27-24 OT), No. 24 Michigan (0-1, lost to then-unranked Utah 25-23).

Others receiving votes: UCLA 91; California 79; East Carolina 56; Tennessee 56; Boston College 36; Florida State 29; Virginia Tech 25; Boise State 24; Kentucky 20; TCU 15; Cincinnati 13; Connecticut 13; Nebraska 12; Arizona 8; Oklahoma State 5; Notre Dame 4; Colorado 3; Bowling Green 2; Georgia Tech 2; Central Florida 1; Miami (Fla.) 1; Stanford 1; Tulsa 1.

AP Poll

1. USC (21) 1-0 1,539

2. Georgia (20) 1-0 1,506

3. Ohio State (15) 1-0 1,497

4. Oklahoma (2) 1-0 1,432

5. Florida (5) 1-0 1,415

6. Missouri (1) 1-0 1,301

7. LSU (1) 1-0 1,207

8. West Virginia 1-0 1,108

9. Auburn 1-0 1,033

10. Texas 1-0 1,028

11. Wisconsin 1-0 849

12. Texas Tech 1-0 842

13. Alabama 1-0 834

14. Kansas 1-0 748

15. Arizona State 1-0 672

15. Brigham Young 1-0 672

17. South Florida 1-0 588

18. Oregon 1-0 508

19. Penn State 1-0 467

20. Wake Forest 1-0 414

21. Fresno State 1-0 242

22. Utah 1-0 214

23. UCLA 1-0 151

24. Illinois 0-1 147

24. South Carolina 1-0 147

Others Receiving Votes: Clemson 143, East Carolina 108, California 91, Boston College 36, Florida State 36, Cincinnati 35, Tennessee 30, Boise State 19, Bowling Green 17, Virginia Tech 14, Connecticut 9, Rutgers 6, Kentucky 5, Nebraska 4, Oklahoma State 3, TCU 2, Arizona 2, North Carolina 1, Notre Dame 1, Miami (FL) 1, Tulsa 1.