Coach’s Top 25

The Clemson Tigers are ranked No. 4 in the preseason USA Today Sports AFCA Coaches Poll, one of five ACC teams that begin the year in the Top 25. No. 1 Alabama earned 54 of 65 first-place votes, No. 2 Ohio State received five first-place votes, and the defending national champion Georgia Bulldogs (ranked No. 3) earned the remaining six first-place votes. No. 5 Notre Dame rounds out the top 5.  The Tigers are joined in the preseason poll by ACC companions No. 13 NC State, No. 16 Pitt, No. 17 Miami and No. 19 Wake Forest. The ACC’s five ranked teams are second-most among all conferences, behind the SEC which slotted six teams on the preseason list.  In addition to Alabama and Georgia, the SEC is also represented by No. 7 Texas A&M, No. 21 Kentucky, No. 23 Arkansas and No. 24 Ole Miss.  South Carolina is in the “receiving votes” section of the poll, with five votes.