TIDE, TIGERS TOP AMWAY COACHES’ POLL
Clemson University’s football team enters the 2016 season exactly where it concluded last season – as the No. 2 team in America.
That’s according to the preseason edition of the Amway Coaches’ poll, which was released this week.
Defending national champion Alabama – which edged Clemson in January’s second-ever college playoff final – was tops overall with fifty-five first place votes.
Clemson received seven first place votes, while fourth-ranked Florida State received one. The Tigers (0-0, 0-0 ACC) will play Florida State in Tallahassee on October 29.
Head coach Dabo Swinney‘s team will also play preseason No. 23 Louisville at home on October 1.
The No. 2 preseason ranking is Clemson’s highest-ever preseason poll position – besting its No. 4 ranking (achieved twice, in 1984 and 1988).
The Tigers have been a fixture in the Amway preseason rankings, staring the last five seasons at No. 14, No. 8, No. 16 and No. 12 in the survey. All told, Clemson has been ranked in 79 of the 83 coaches’ polls released since the beginning of the 2011 season.
The University of South Carolina – which was a fixture in the national football rankings from 2010-13 – was unranked in the preseason coaches’ poll for the second consecutive year. The Gamecocks are kicking off their first season under new head coach Will Muschamp – hoping to improve on a disastrous 3-9 campaign in 2015.
South Carolina’s 2016 schedule includes dates against No. 10 Tennessee (home – October 29), No. 16 Georgia (home – October 8) and No. 25 Florida (away – November 12) – in addition to its regular-season finale against the second-ranked Tigers.
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2016 Amway Coaches’ Poll
1. Alabama (55) 0-0 1585
2. Clemson (7) 0-0 1524
3. Oklahoma 0-0 1398
4. Florida State (1) 0-0 1351
5. Ohio State 0-0 1321
6. LSU 0-0 1241
7. Stanford 0-0 1149
8. Michigan 0-0 1062
9. Notre Dame 0-0 1034
10. Tennessee 0-0 960
11. Michigan State 0-0 901
12. Ole Miss 0-0 792
13. Houston 0-0 668
14. TCU 0-0 649
15. Iowa 0-0 579
16. Georgia 0-0 525
17. USC 0-0 468
18. Washington 0-0 454
19. Oklahoma State 0-0 426
20. North Carolina 0-0 422
21. Baylor 0-0 383
22. Oregon 0-0 361
23. Louisville 0-0 331
24. UCLA 0-0 296
25. Florida 0-0 245
Dropped from rankings: Utah 16, Navy 18, Wisconsin 21, Northwestern 22
Others receiving votes: Miami 120, Wisconsin 82, Utah 73, Boise State 73, Washington State 47, Texas A&M 37, Texas 34, Arkansas 34, Northwestern 31, Navy 30, Mississippi State 19, San Diego State 18, Nebraska 17, Auburn 17, Western Kentucky 11, Pittsburgh 8, BYU 6, Appalachian State 4, Duke 3, South Florida 2, Arizona 2, Marshall 2, Toledo 2, Northern Illinois 1, Memphis 1, Indiana 1