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by WILL FOLKS
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To borrow a signature catchphrase from twentieth century comedic genius Rodney Dangerfield, Clemson University’s 2026 football team can’t get “no respect.”
For the first time in fifteen years, head coach Dabo Swinney’s Tigers will embark upon a college football season unranked. That’s according to the preseason Associated Press Top 25, which is compiled by America’s college football reporters. Clemson was ranked No. 23 in the preseason edition of the coaches’ poll, which is sponsored by U.S. LBM.
The Tigers narrowly missed out on the No. 25 spot in the AP poll, finishing just five points behind Missouri – one of nine Southeastern Conference (SEC) schools in the rankings. Only three Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) programs made the cut – including No. 7 Miami, which will travel to Death Valley on October 3, 2026.
Clemson’s season-opening date against No. 11 LSU in Baton Rouge on September 5 is the Tigers’ only other currently scheduled game against a presently ranked opponent.
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Clemson entered last season ranked No. 4 in the AP poll – but stumbled to their worst record since 2010, finishing 7-6 after a bowl loss to Penn State. That precipitous fall had Swinney scrambling in the offseason, leading to his controversial decision to bring back former offensive coordinator Chad Morris.
Prognosticators aren’t impressed. After Clemson cracked the coaches’ poll last month, Stewart Mandel of The Athletic noted the Tigers appeared to be riding on reputation – not reality.
“It reminds me of Miami in the post-2002 era, when the pollsters kept ranking them high long after the program began declining, under the assumption that, ‘Well, it’s Miami,’” Mandel wrote. “We have officially entered that period with Clemson.”
“The coaches are giving Dabo Swinney the benefit of the doubt,” CBS Sports’ Cody Nagel added.
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RELATED | TIGERS’ DRAFT DOMINANCE HIGHLIGHTS SWINNEY CONCERNS
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Will Clemson fans continue giving Swinney the benefit of the doubt? Especially after last year’s talented team so colossally underperformed?
Probably…
Prior to last season, Swinney’s Tigers had finished their last fourteen campaigns in the national rankings – including thirteen straight Top 20 finishes, eight Top Ten finishes, seven playoff appearances, four title game appearances and a pair of national championships.
Swinney has posted a 187-53 (.779) mark in 17.5 seasons at Clemson, including twelve straight ten-win campaigns from 2011-2022. He’s also 9-7 against arch-rival South Carolina, which also received a handful of votes in both the preseason AP and coaches’ polls.
As noted, Clemson opens its 2026 slate on the road against LSU in what will be new Bayou Bengal head coach Lane Kiffin‘s debut. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. EDT on Saturday, September 5, 2026 with ABC providing national coverage.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR…
Will Folks is the founding editor of the news outlet you are currently reading. Prior to founding FITSNews, he served as press secretary to the governor of South Carolina. He lives in the Midlands region of the state with his wife and eight children.
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