Clemson debuts in Top 15 of CBS 134 college football team rankings

Clemson looks to make a move in all the polls to a Playoff spot.

Brandon Rink · Assoc. Editor / Staff Writer · Friday, August 02 2024

Clemson debuted in the Top 15 of the CBS Sports 134 preseason rankings this week.

Dabo Swinney's Tigers are narrowly outpaced in the ACC by Florida State, with Clemson at No. 14 and the reigning league champs at No. 13. The next ACC team is just two spots back with Miami (No. 16) and NC State also made the Top 25 (24).

Georgia paces the poll, followed by Ohio State, Oregon, Texas and Alabama.

"No preseason ritual gets the conversation going quite like the first set of rankings, and as we begin a new season for the CBS Sports 134, the teams at the top are unsurprisingly familiar," said CBS' Chip Patterson. "Each week we will rank every FBS team -- now at 134; welcome, Kennesaw State -- but the starting point for this year's rankings includes many of the same teams that finished in top spots at the end of 2023. Twelve of the top 14 teams in the first CBS Sports 134 were in the top 14 in the final rankings last season, though there has been some significant shake-up among the group."

Clemson is one of the new teams in the Top 14 after finishing 22nd in the poll last year. The Tigers moved up three spots with their bowl win over Kentucky to that final position.

After Georgia, FSU and NC State, the next Clemson FBS foes check in at No. 26 (Louisville), No. 29 (Virginia Tech), No. 43 (Appalachian State), No. 49 (South Carolina), No. 77 (Pittsburgh), No. 78 (Wake Forest), No. 84 (Stanford) and No. 86 (Virginia).

"The buzz around the Hokies' potential to be a dark horse in the ACC title race has reached the CBS Sports 134 voters. Virginia Tech saw a steady climb up the rankings in the back half of last year, winning six of their final eight games with each victory coming by at least 17 points. With loads of production back, Brent Pry's group will start the year knocking on the door of the top 25," said Patterson in the story's top risers section.

If the preseason rankings project the 12-team Playoff, it would go as follows: Georgia, Ohio State, Utah, Florida State (last bye to quarterfinals), Oregon, Texas, Alabama, Ole Miss, Penn State, Notre Dame, Michigan, Boise State (Group of 5 spot).