Clemson Second in Preseason Coaches Poll

Clemson, S.C.—Clemson is ranked second in the preseason Amway Coaches Poll released on Thursday.  It is the highest preseason ranking in Clemson history in either of the major polls.  Clemson was fourth in the preseason poll by the Coaches and the Associated Press in 1988, and fourth by Associated Press in 1984.

This also marks the fifth straight year Clemson has been ranked in the preseason Amway Coaches Poll.  Clemson was 14^th by the coaches in the preseason of 2012 and finished ninth, eighth in the preseason for 2013 and finished seventh, 16^th in the preseason by the coaches for 2014 and finished 15th,  and 12^th last year before finishing second. 

Clemson, Alabama, Oregon and Florida State are the only schools in the country to finish in the top 25 of both the Amway Coaches Poll and the Associated Press Poll each of the last five years.

Clemson has now been ranked in 79 of the 83 Amway Coaches Poll since the beginning of the 2011 season. 

The top five of the Amway Coaches poll are led by defending National Champion Alabama.  The second ranked Tigers are followed by No. 3 Oklahoma and No 4 Florida State, teams Clemson defeated last year.   Ohio State is fifth, LSU is sixth, Stanford is No. 7, Michigan is eighth, Notre Dame is ninth and Tennessee is 10^th.   

2016 Preseason Amway Coaches Poll

1. Alabama, 2. Clemson, 3.  Oklahoma, 4.  Florida State, 5.  Ohio State, 6.  LSU, 7.  Stanford, 8. Michigan, 9.  Notre Dame, 10. Tennessee, 11. Michigan State, 12.  Mississippi, 13.  Houston, 14. TCU, 15.  Iowa, 16. Georgia, 17.   Southern California, 18. Washington, 19. Oklahoma State, 20.  North Carolina, 21. Baylor, 22. Oregon, 23. Louisville, 24.  UCLA, 25.  Florida.