Clemson ranked No. 3 in ESPN Preseason Power Ranking |
ESPN's panel of experts have a pair of future conference mates at the top and Clemson chasing its place in the national title game.
ESPN released a preseason power ranking Wednesday that has Alabama at No. 1, followed by Oklahoma, Clemson, Georgia and Ohio State in the top-5. "Trevor Lawrence is gone. Travis Etienne is gone. For most programs, that would mean a massive reset of expectations. At Clemson, however, there's surprisingly little concern," ESPN's David Hale said. "The Tigers are the odds-on favorites to win the ACC. The bigger question for Clemson fans, however, might be how much bigger they should dream. After two straight seasons ended with blowout losses in the playoff, the narrative surrounding Clemson will be less about its command of the conference and more about how quickly the Tigers can once again hoist a national championship trophy." On Sept. 4 opener opponent Georgia, ESPN's Harry Lyles Jr. wrote: "The Bulldogs are one of the favorites to make the College Football Playoff and win a national championship. Georgia's offense looked like it was finally reaching its potential toward the end of 2020 with JT Daniels at quarterback, and will be returning eight starters in 2021. Defensively, the Dawgs will have to reload some, but the addition of Tykee Smith and Georgia's general ability to reload year in and year out could have them back in the playoff for the first time since 2017." UNC rounds out the top-10, and Miami is 15th among ACC reps.
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