CLEMSON FOOTBALL

Clemson is led by Heisman hopeful Deshaun Watson
Clemson is led by Heisman hopeful Deshaun Watson

Clemson ranked in the Top 15 of the Preseason Coaches' Poll


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Clemson, S.C.—Clemson was ranked 12th in the preseason USA Today Coaches poll announced on Thursday. This marks the fourth straight year Clemson has been ranked in the USA Today preseason poll. Dabo Swinney’s program is the only one in the nation to finish higher in the final poll than its preseason ranking each of the last four years.

The Tigers are coming off a 10-3 season in which they finished 15th in the final USA Today and Associated Press rankings. Clemson has been ranked in the final top 25 by USA Today Coaches Poll each of the last four years, joining Alabama, Oregon and Florida State as the only programs that can make that claim. That includes a top 15 ranking for Clemson each of the last three years.

The Clemson program has done an outstanding job in meeting expectations in the last four years. The Tigers were unranked in the preseason of 2011 and finished 22nd. Clemson was No. 14 in the preseason in 2012 and finished ninth. The Tigers were eighth in the preseason of 2013 and finished seventh. Last year Clemson had a No. 16 preseason rating and finished 15th.

Three Clemson opponents are ranked in the top 20 of the preseason USA Today Coaches Poll. Florida State is ranked eighth, Notre Dame is 11th and Georgia Tech is 17th. All three of those opponents will face Clemson at Death Valley this year. Notre Dame is at Clemson on October 3, Georgia Tech comes to town the following week and Florida State is at Clemson on November 7. Clemson has not faced three top 20 teams at home in the same year since 2005.

Clemson was also the preseason pick to win the Atlantic Coast Conference title according to the media attending the ACC Football Kickoff at Pinehurst, N.C. earlier this month. The Tigers return just five starters on offense and three starters on defense from last year’s team that concluded the season with wins over South Carolina and Oklahoma by at least two touchdowns.

While Clemson returns just eight starters, it does return players who accounted for 92 percent of the receiving yardage, 81 percent of the rushing yardage and 87 percent of the points scored. Quarterback Deshaun Watson, who completed 68 percent of his passes for a national best 10.7 yards per attempt, also returns.

Clemson has now been ranked in 61 of the last 65 USA Today Coaches polls dating to early in the 2011 season. The Tigers open the 2015 season on September 5 when Wofford plays at Memorial Stadium.


RANK	TEAM		RECORD	POINTS	1ST PLACE

1 Ohio State 14-1 1598 62

2 TCU 12-1 1487 1

3 Alabama 12-2 1452 1

4 Baylor 11-2 1365 0

5 Oregon 13-2 1260 0

6 Michigan State 11-2 1230 0

7 Auburn 8-5 1103 0

8 Florida State 13-1 1057 0

9 Georgia 10-3 1026 0

10 USC 9-4 1014 0

11 Notre Dame 8-5 883 0

12 Clemson 10-3 838 0

13 LSU 8-5 727 0

14 UCLA 10-3 697 0

15 Ole Miss 9-4 668 0

16 Arizona State 10-3 577 0

17 Georgia Tech 11-3 573 0

18 Wisconsin 11-3 470 0

19 Oklahoma 8-5 407 0

20 Arkansas 7-6 377 0

21 Stanford 8-5 365 0

22 Arizona 10-4 299 0

23 Missouri 11-3 229 0

24 Boise State 12-2 190 0

25 Tennessee 7-6 166 0

Others Receiving Votes - Mississippi State 164; Texas A&M 149; Oklahoma State 89; Virginia Tech 70; Utah 40; Kansas State 37; Louisville 27; Nebraska 27; Minnesota 25; Penn State 20; South Carolina 18; Miami (Fla.) 16; Texas 8; Illinois 7; Duke 6; Air Force 5; Louisiana Tech 5; Marshall 4; Utah State 4; West Virginia 3; North Carolina State 3; Brigham Young 3; Florida 2; Georgia Southern 2; North Carolina 2; Maryland 1; Michigan 1; Kentucky 1; Central Florida 1; Cincinnati 1; Washington 1.

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Subject (Replies: 34) Author
spacer FB Update: Clemson ranked in the Top 15 of the Preseason Coaches' Poll
TigerNet News®
spacer the official spurrier's enemies list.***
CU_Tigers_time
spacer Re: FB Update: Clemson ranked in the Top 15 of the Preseason Coaches' Poll
badb
spacer Re: FB Update: Clemson ranked in the Top 15 of the Preseason Coaches' Poll
SBCharleston
spacer This must be a misprint
llamasnot
spacer Re: This must be a misprint
badb
spacer Re: FB Update: Clemson ranked in the Top 15 of the Preseason Coaches' Poll
coopdaddy14
spacer Re: FB Update: Clemson ranked in the Top 15 of the Preseason Coaches' Poll
wopick®
spacer Re: FB Update: Clemson ranked in the Top 15 of the Preseason Coaches' Poll
Dugatiger®
spacer What does 8-5 have to do with this year?***
TigersAndCubs
spacer Pre-season rankings are based on last year's final
Neal in NC®
spacer That doesn't mean we have to do it.***
TigersAndCubs
spacer Re: FB Update: Clemson ranked in the Top 15 of the Preseason Coaches' Poll
sgraupn
spacer I hope Louisville knocks off Auburn to start season***
sgraupn
spacer Re: I hope Louisville knocks off Auburn to start season***
deroberts
spacer Re: I hope Louisville knocks off Auburn to start season***
badb
spacer Louisville will be fired up regardless!
rdwebbii
spacer Don't care if we were #1. Meaningless.***
Tiger Woods
spacer I agree to some extent, but it certainly helps to be at
Iwantthe80sback®
spacer With how many players we lost, yes I agree.
Tiger Woods
spacer I am with you. It is stupid to have them before October
Iwantthe80sback®
spacer Re: Meaningless.***
apextiger
spacer TW, I get your drift, it's meaningless to how we're actually
epifunny
spacer Re: FB Update: Clemson ranked in the Top 15 of the Preseason Coaches' Poll
Dugatiger®
spacer You would be surprised if we lost 1 of the 3 toughest games
TigersAndCubs
spacer If you have an 80% chance of beating each of 3 teams
Neal in NC®
spacer Re: You would be surprised if we lost 1 of the 3 toughest games
Dugatiger®
spacer Happy to see USC at #10, Ooops wrong one***
cuvatiger®
spacer Re: Happy to see USC at #10, Ooops wrong one***
NorCATiger®
spacer That's exactly where I predicted we'd start the season.
ClemsonTiger1988®
spacer Haters keep hating & Clemson will continue to prove them
CUAllTheWay
spacer Re: I think both our teams are right where they should be
SouthernStyle
spacer But, David said we would be in the Top 12?***
jtiger1®
spacer Re: FB Update: Clemson ranked in the Top 15 of the Preseason Coaches' Poll
deleted
spacer Re: FB Update: Clemson ranked in the Top 15 of the Preseason Coaches' Poll
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