Clemson Tigers’ Move Up in AP Top 25 Poll Could be Start of Rise in Rankings

The Clemson Tigers have an opportunity the next few weeks to push themselves higher than the lower half of the AP Top 25 poll.

Sept 7, 2024; Clemson, SC, USA; The Clemson Tigers played the Appalachian State Mountaineers in college football Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024. Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik (2) on the field before the game. / Alex Hicks Jr./USA TODAY Sports via Imagn Images

A week off gave the Clemson Tigers a one-spot nudge in the Associated Press Top 25 poll.

But the next few weeks may allow the Tigers (1-1) to soar even higher.

Clemson moved up to No. 21 in the AP Top 25 after recuperating from their blowout victory over the Appalachian State Mountaineers.

Clemson returns to the field on Saturday to host NC State at noon eastern.

The road ahead of the Tigers, at least right now looks somewhat favorable. It's the kind of schedule that could allow Clemson to climb back up into the top half of the poll.

It starts with Saturday's game, which features a 2-1 Wolfpack team that has wins over FCS Western Carolina and Louisiana Tech. Those wins are sandwiched around a blowout loss to No. 6 Tennessee.

The Tigers and Wolfpack shape up to be a pretty even showdown, but one that can lean Clemson’s way since it’s at home and the Tigers had a week off.

After NC State, the Tigers host Stanford the following week.

The Cardinal (1-1) are also coming off a bye week after beating Cal Poly, 41-7. The Cardinal started the season with a 34-27 loss at home against TCU.

Stanford is at Syracuse on Friday for its ACC opener and then has to come back across the country to face Clemson in a night game in Death Valley next Saturday. That should also favor the Tigers.

After that, Clemson travels to Florida State, and right now the Seminoles are 0-3 and in a bad way. No team in recent memory has fallen from the Top 10 as hard as the Seminoles have. They have quarterback issues and they're coming off a loss at home to Memphis.

This week the Seminoles host Cal to open up ACC play.

From there, the Tigers travel to Wake Forest on Oct. 12 and then host Virginia on Oct. 19. While no ACC game is an easy game, the Tigers don’t have a game against a ranked team until they host No. 19 Louisville on Nov. 2. Clemson is lucky enough to have its other bye week before the Cardinals.

Plus, Clemson will not face the highest-ranked team in the ACC at the moment, No. 8 Miami, unless the two schools meet in the ACC title game. Clemson is one of three ranked ACC teams. The way the league shapes up right now, winning the conference title is the only clear pathway in.

The Tigers not only have a clear pathway to the ACC Championship game again, but they have a clear pathway to rise in the AP Top 25 to the point where they could be seen as a Top 10 team entering that November game against Louisville.