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NWA COLLEGE FOOTBALL PREVIEW | 8.29.2021
USA Today released its first football
coaches poll of the year Tuesday and
ranked Clemson second in the top 25
rankings.
Alabama ranked first with 63 votes,
while Oklahoma is third behind Clemson
and received two first-place votes.
It marks the sixth year in a row in
which the Tigers, who didn't receive any
first-place votes, have been ranked in
the top five of the preseason poll and the
11th straight year of being ranked in the
preseason top 25. In 2019 and 2020, they
were ranked No. 1 to start the year.
The Tigers made the College Football
Playoffs for the fifth year in a row in
2020, posting a 10-2 overall record. They
ended the year ranked third in the final
USA Today poll on Jan. 12.
The Associated Press preseason top
25 poll will be released at noon Aug. 16.
Clemson opens the 2021 season against
fifth-ranked Georgia on Sept. 4 at Bank
of America Stadium in Charlotte.
ALABAMA, CLEMSON RANK 1-2 IN
PRESEASON COACHES POLL
RANK TEAM PTS 1ST
1 Alabama 1621 63
2 Clemson 1508 0
3 Oklahoma 1481 2
4 Ohio State 1435 0
5 Georgia 1386 0
6 Texas A&M 1286 0
7 Notre Dame 1139 0
8 Iowa State 1131 0
9 North Carolina 999 0
10 Cincinnati 979 0
11 Florida 870 0
12 Oregon 842 0
13 Louisiana State 664 0
14 Southern California 655 0
15 Wisconsin 654 0
16 Miami 575 0
17 Indiana 573 0
18 Iowa 554 0
19 Texas 427 0
20 Penn State 422 0
21 Washington 404 0
22 Oklahoma State 216 0
23 UL Lafayette 153 0
24 Coastal Carolina 150 0
25 Mississippi 149 0
USA TODAY SPORTS AFCA COACHES POLL
Others receiving votes: Utah 145; Northwestern 120; Arizona State 90; Auburn 84; Liberty
68; Brigham Young 53; Texas Christian 48; Michigan 30; Central Florida 29; NC State 27; Boise
State 27; Kentucky 20; San Jose State 18; Army 13; Virginia Tech 9; Missouri 8; UCLA 7; Tulsa 6;
Pittsburgh 6; Boston College 6; Houston 5; Ball State 5; West Virginia 4; Southern Methodist 4;
Appalachian State 4; UAB 3; Arkansas 3; Nevada 2; Mississippi State 2; Air Force 2; Stanford 1;
Marshall 1; Florida State 1; California 1.
