Clemson Returns to Associated Press Top 25

by Press Release - Tue Sep 06 18:08:05 GMT-04:00 2005

Clemson, SC-Clemson broke into the top 25 of the Associated Press

college football rankings on Tuesday. Clemson is ranked 25th and

received 164 poll points after defeating Texas A&M on Saturday, 25-24. Texas A&M was ranked 17th entering the game, but the loss dropped the Aggies out of the top 25.

Clemson is one of seven ACC teams in the top 25 this week.

Virginia Tech is seventh, Florida State is 11th, Miami (FL) is 14th, Georgia Tech is 17th, Boston College is 19th and Virginia is 23rd.

Clemson and Georgia Tech were unranked in the preseason poll, then defeated ranked teams in the first game of the season to move into the top 25.

This is Clemson's first appearance in the AP top 25 since September 7, 2004 when the Tigers were ranked 20th. The Tigers were 15th in the AP preseason poll last year, then dropped to 20th after an overtime victory against Wake Forest. The next week Clemson lost to Georgia Tech 28-24 and dropped out of the top 25 for the rest of the season.

This week's ranking is the 31st top 25 weekly ranking since

Tommy Bowden became Clemson's head coach in 1999. That includes 17

consecutive rankings during the 2000 season. That included a high ranking of number five in the AP poll for four consecutive weeks in October when the Tigers started 8-0. Clemson has been ranked in the final top 25 twice under Bowden, a #16 ranking in 2000 and a #22 ranking in 2003.

1. USC (61) 1-0 1,621

2. Texas (4) 1-0 1,541

3. Michigan 1-0 1,360

4. Ohio State 1-0 1,301

5. LSU 0-0 1,291

6. Tennessee 1-0 1,280

7. Virginia Tech 1-0 1,253

8. Iowa 1-0 1,146

9. Georgia 1-0 1,131

10. Florida 1-0 1,129

11. Florida State 1-0 1,064

12. Louisville 1-0 911

13. Purdue 0-0 740

14. Miami 0-1 710

15. Arizona State 1-0 553

16. California 1-0 514

17. Georgia Tech 1-0 459

18. Oklahoma 0-1 375

19. Boston College 1-0 372

20. Notre Dame 1-0 345

21. Texas Tech 0-0 274

22. TCU 1-0 254

23. Virginia 1-0 232

24. Fresno State 0-0 221

25. Clemson 1-0 164

OTHERS RECEIVING VOTES

Alabama 153, Oregon 119, Auburn 118, Utah 111, Texas AM 106, Colorado 61, Wisconsin 44, Boise State 31, UCLA 23, Iowa State 21, Minnesota 16, Penn State 16, N.C. State 13, Michigan State 11, Arizona 10, UTEP 8, Bowling Green 7, Oregon State 6, Southern Miss 5, West Virginia 3, Toledo 2.

DROPPED FROM RANKINGS

Auburn 16, Texas AM 17, Boise State 18, Pittsburgh 23