Clemson’s stay in the AP Top 25 looks like it could be over before it really began.
After Saturday night’s 51-10 blowout loss to then-No. 11 LSU, the Tigers are staring at a steep drop when the Week 2 poll comes out. Clemson was already the first team left out in Week 1, and after what happened in Baton Rouge, it will not be a top-25 team in the second week of the 2026-27 season.
LSU, meanwhile, is set to benefit from the result. The Tigers should move up one spot, from No. 11 to No. 10, after delivering Clemson’s worst loss in years.
The bigger shakeup in the projected poll centers on Oregon and Michigan. Oregon is expected to tumble after getting pushed around by Boise State, a Group of Six contender, and the Ducks will not remain No.
- They could slide six places.
Michigan’s situation may be even messier. The Wolverines, who were nearly upset by reigning MAC champion Western Michigan in Kyle Whittingham’s debut, likely should have lost.
A controversial clock ruling kept them alive, but they still appear headed for a steep fall. If Louisville had not lost a barn burner to Ole Miss in Nashville, Michigan might have fallen out of the rankings entirely.
Instead, the Wolverines may drop eight spots.
At the top, Notre Dame could climb two spots to No. 2 after taking care of lowly Wisconsin at Lambeau Field. Georgia, Texas, Indiana, and Miami are also positioned to move up as Oregon slips. LSU and Ole Miss should inch higher as well after beating ACC opponents on opening weekend, while the rest of the top 25 could mostly stay intact, just shifted up a slot.
For Clemson, the immediate question is how many voters stick with the Tigers at all. The 112 preseason votes they received seem likely to shrink fast, and a single-digit total would not be a surprise after that collapse. Florida, Arizona, and possibly Auburn are the teams hovering closest to the rankings and trending upward.
For now, Clemson’s path back is simple: win its next three games.
In Other News...
Clemson Gets A Needed D-Line Boost Before Its First ACC Test
Clemsons defensive front got a much-needed lift this week with the reinstatement of tackle Vic Burley after a suspension tied to a public disorderly conduct arrest. Burley still will miss the upcoming game against Georgia Southern, but his return is lined up for a far more important moment, with the Tigers expecting to have him back for their ACC opener against North Carolina.
That matters because Clemson is also bracing for the likely loss of defensive tackle Markus Strong, who is expected to be out for the season after suffering a lower-leg injury in a recent game. Between Burleys return and Strongs injury, the Tigers interior line picture has shifted quickly, and the next few weeks will tell just how much depth they can piece together before conference play starts to sharpen the stakes. [Read more 🡒]
Clemsons Ugly Opener Put Dabo Swinney Under An Unwanted Spotlight
Clemsons season-opening loss to LSU did more than drop the Tigers into an early hole. It also put a sharp light on the parts of the roster that did hold up, especially in the secondary, where cornerback Ashton Hampton and safety Corey Myrick drew the kind of attention that can matter as the schedule tightens. For a team that came in expecting a cleaner start, there was at least some proof that a few individual pieces can still compete at a high level even when the overall performance falls short.
The bigger issue, though, is what the opener said about where Clemson stands around its head coach. Dabo Swinney is used to having the benefit of the doubt, but this one invited more questions than answers, from the way the game was handled to how much work remains before the Tigers look like a finished product. The next few weeks will say plenty about whether the loss was just a bad night or the first sign that Clemson has more fixing to do than anyone wanted to admit. [Read more 🡒]
Clemsons Home Opener Comes With A Price Fans Will Notice
Clemsons home opener comes with a familiar kind of college-football cost, and this one is a hefty one. According to a contract obtained through public records, the Tigers will pay Georgia Southern for Saturday nights game at Memorial Stadium, a matchup set for a 7:30 p.m. kickoff on the ACC Network.
The deal also spells out the usual logistics that come with bringing a road team to town, including ticket allotments and access for Georgia Southerns team and staff. It is the sort of behind-the-scenes bookkeeping that rarely gets much attention on game day, even though it helps shape the business side of a September Saturday in Death Valley. [Read more 🡒]