Can Clemson Tigers Climb in AP Football Poll Entering Bye Week?

The Clemson Tigers are rolling but factors outside of their control may limit their mobility in this week’s AP Top 25 poll.

Oct 19, 2024; Clemson, South Carolina, USA; Clemson Tigers running back Phil Mafah (7) walks into the end zone untouched against the Virginia Cavaliers at Memorial Stadium. / Alexander Hicks-Imagn Images

The Clemson Tigers haven’t lost since August. The Tigers are entering their second bye week on a six-game hot streak in which they’ve been rarely challenged.

The Tigers (6-1, 5-0 in ACC) have used that as fuel to steadily rise from a poll-low of No. 25 after their 34-3 loss to Georgia to No. 10, which is where they landed after winning their fourth game in a row.

But, after beating Wake Forest last week the Tigers held firm at No. 10. Will the same hold true this week after the Tigers blew past Virginia?  

That hinges on how AP voters approach what happened in Knoxville, Tenn., as No. 11 Tennessee defeated No. 7 Alabama, 24-17.

The Volunteers (6-1, 3-1) will surely get a bump from this win. The question is how much? What happened across the rest of the Top 10 will surely limit their upward mobility and the same holds true for Clemson.

Everyone else in the Top 10 won or was idle, with the exception of No. 1 Texas, which fell to No. 5 Georgia.

Alabama (5-2, 2-2) presents the voters with an interesting dilemma. Alabama beat then-No. 1 Georgia. But, since then they’ve lost to unranked Vanderbilt, narrowly defeated South Carolina and then fell to the Vols. It’s an unimpressive stretch for Alabama, something voters aren’t used to, thanks to the previous tenure of Nick Saban.

Two losses for a No. 7 team would appear to demand that team be dropped, even if its Alabama.

For those reasons, logically Alabama should drop out of the Top 10, Tennessee should move back into the Top 10 and everyone else should hold relatively firm, even with No. 1 Texas losing to No. 5 Georgia. The Tigers, if they move at all, will probably move up one spot, two spots max.

As for the ACC race the Tigers continue to bolster their case for an undefeated league slate, which would practically guarantee them a berth in the ACC title game. After Saturday’s action the four undefeated teams in league action were still undefeated — Miami (7-0, 3-0), SMU (6-1, 3-0) and Pitt (6-0, 2-0).

In this respect the Tigers have a huge advantage. Clemson has just three ACC games left and those games will come right after the bye week — vs. Louisville on Nov. 2, at Virginia Tech on Nov. 9 and at Pitt on Nov. 16.

So, by mid-November, the Tigers could be undefeated in ACC action and already have a berth sewn up for Charlotte.

Clemson AP Ranking By Week

Preseason/Week 1: No. 14

Week 2: No. 25 (minus-11)

Week 3: No. 22 (+3)

Week 4: No. 21 (+1)

Week 5: No. 17 (+4)

Week 6: No. 15 (+2)

Week 7: No. 10 (+5)

Week 8: No. 10 (—)