National analyst has Clemson in his Top Ten

Phil Mafah and Bryant Wesco have helped key a Clemson offensive resurgence.

Brandon Rink - Assoc. Editor / Staff Writer - Thursday, October 03 2024

FOX Sports lead college football analyst Joel Klatt thinks Clemson is one of the ten best teams in the country right now.

Klatt ranks the Tigers No. 10 overall.

"Suddenly, Clemson is quietly getting better and better," Klatt said. "It's been like a slow boil since the Georgia game. At 210 degrees, nothing happens. At 220 degrees, you can power a locomotive. Clemson's bubbling, especially that offense and Cade Klubnik. The Tigers are averaging 55 points per game since they lost to Georgia, which is the best mark in the country in that span.

"I think the ACC is now a two-team race. You can't convince me that Clemson is incapable of beating Miami, especially after what we saw on Friday. We saw Clemson's floor in Week 1. Now, we might be seeing Clemson's ceiling, and it might be higher than Miami's."

Klatt has Miami at No. 8 currently.

"I bought in to all the Miami and Cam Ward stock through the first few weeks of the season, but that game on Friday night [vs. Virginia Tech] really showed us how low of a floor Miami has. That game really signified the old saying, 'If you don't play your best, you can be beaten.' That's especially true when you're up against a conference rival, even at home," Klatt said.

Klatt's complete Top Ten is Alabama, Texas, Ohio State, Tennessee, Georgia, Penn State, Oregon, Miami, Missouri and Clemson.

The Tigers (3-1) head to Florida State (1-4) for a 7 p.m. kickoff on ESPN Saturday.