Clemson makes history with No. 1 ranking in preseason AP Top 25
Clemson has already made history before the 2019 season even starts, but it’s not the kind of history Tigers coach Dabo Swinney cares about.
Clemson is ranked No. 1 in the preseason AP poll for the first time in school history, it was announced Monday. The Tigers are also ranked No. 1 in the preseason USA Today coaches poll, which came out earlier this month.
Swinney downplayed the honor of being preseason No. 1 and said it’s really not much of an honor.
“Unless they bring us a trophy and tear the concrete out over there and put the preseason champs up there, I don’t think we’re going to do that. So it just doesn’t matter,” Swinney said. “ It’s just is a distraction for people to ask me questions about it because it just doesn’t matter.
Alabama is ranked No. 2, followed by Georgia, Oklahoma and Ohio State.
Clemson plays two opponents ranked in the preseason AP top 25, facing No. 12 Texas A&M in Week 2 and No. 22 Syracuse in Week 3. The Tigers had previously been ranked as high as No. 2 in the preseason twice — 2016 and 2018 — before being preseason No. 1 this year.
“I guess that means that people think we’ve got a good team coming back, and I guess that means that we were a good team last year, so I guess that’s a pro,” Swinney said. “I guess that beats not being ranked at all because everybody thinks you stink. I guess that’s the pro.”
While Clemson made history with its preseason ranking, the Tigers also have a streak that is coming to an end.
Clemson has finished higher than its preseason ranking in the AP poll each of the previous eight seasons. The best the Tigers can do this year is tie their No. 1 ranking.
“Can’t we finish like negative?” Swinney joked. “We’d be zero. I guess that’d be the next one. Super duper (one). Maybe we can tie it. We’d have to change the rhetoric.”
Clemson and Georgia Tech kick off the season as part of the launch of the ACC Network with an 8 pm game next Thursday, Aug. 29.
More about Clemson from The Associated Press:
“Clemson is the 23rd team to be preseason No. 1 and the first first-timer since Georgia in 2008. The Tigers will try to become the 12th team to start No. 1 and finish No. 1 since the preseason poll started in 1950. The last to do it was Alabama in 2017. Only two teams have gone wire-to-wire as No. 1: Florida State in 1999 and Southern California in 2004. Alabama has now been No. 2 to start the season nine times, matching Oklahoma for the most in AP poll history. Just as many teams (11) have started No. 2 and won the title as No. 1.”
AP Top 25
Record | Pts | Pvs | |
1. Clemson (52) | 15-0 | 1,540 | 1 |
2. Alabama (10) | 14-1 | 1,496 | 2 |
3. Georgia | 11-3 | 1,403 | 7 |
4. Oklahoma | 12-2 | 1,331 | 4 |
5. Ohio St. | 13-1 | 1,261 | 3 |
6. LSU | 10-3 | 1,199 | 6 |
7. Michigan | 10-3 | 1,164 | 14 |
8. Florida | 10-3 | 1,054 | 7 |
9. Notre Dame | 12-1 | 1,044 | 5 |
10. Texas | 10-4 | 1,005 | 9 |
11. Oregon | 9-4 | 860 | - |
12. Texas A&M | 9-4 | 852 | 16 |
13. Washington | 10-4 | 786 | 13 |
14. Utah | 9-5 | 772 | - |
15. Penn St. | 9-4 | 651 | 17 |
16. Auburn | 8-5 | 578 | - |
17. UCF | 12-1 | 410 | 11 |
18. Michigan St. | 7-6 | 377 | - |
19. Wisconsin | 8-5 | 370 | - |
20. Iowa | 9-4 | 330 | 25 |
21. Iowa St. | 8-5 | 302 | - |
22. Syracuse | 10-3 | 209 | 15 |
23. Washington St. | 11-2 | 200 | 10 |
24. Nebraska | 4-8 | 154 | - |
25. Stanford | 9-4 | 141 | - |
Others receiving votes: Missouri 117, Army 94, Mississippi St. 87, Miami 70, Northwestern 63, TCU 57, Virginia 44, Boise St. 38, Cincinnati 16, South Carolina 15, Virginia Tech 12, Fresno St. 8, Utah St. 8, Minnesota 7, Memphis 6, Appalachian St. 5, UAB 3, West Virginia 3, Oklahoma St. 3, Arizona St. 3, Arizona 1, Southern Cal 1.
History: AP Preseason No. 1 Teams
x-won national championship
2019—Clemson
2018—Alabama
2017—Alabama-x
2016—Alabama
2015—Ohio St.
2014—Florida St.
2013—Alabama
2012—Southern Cal
2011—Oklahoma
2010—Alabama
2009—Florida
2008—Georgia
2007—Southern Cal
2006—Ohio St.
2005—Southern Cal
2004—Southern Cal-x
2003—Oklahoma
2002—Miami
2001—Florida
2000—Nebraska
1999—Florida St.-x
1998—Ohio St.
1997—Penn St.
1996—Nebraska
1995—Florida St.
1994—Florida
1993—Florida St.-x
1992—Miami
1991—Florida St.
1990—Miami
1989—Michigan
1988—Florida St.
1987—Oklahoma
1986—Oklahoma
1985—Oklahoma-x
1984—Auburn
1983—Nebraska
1982—Pittsburgh
1981—Michigan
1980—Ohio St.
1979—Southern Cal
1978—Alabama-x
1977—Oklahoma
1976—Nebraska
1975—Oklahoma-x
1974—Oklahoma-x
1973—Southern Cal
1972—Nebraska
1971—Notre Dame
1970—Ohio St.
1969—Ohio St.
1968—Purdue
1967—Notre Dame
1966—Alabama
1965—Nebraska
1964—Mississippi
1963—Southern Cal
1962—Ohio St.
1961—Iowa
1960—Syracuse
1959—LSU
1958—Ohio St.
1957—Oklahoma
1956—Oklahoma-x
1955—UCLA
1954—Notre Dame
1953—Notre Dame
1952—Michigan St.-x
1951—Tennessee-x
1950—Notre Dame
