Clemson hangs on to spot in ESPN power rankings |
Dabo Swinney's Tigers hung on to the final spot in the updated ESPN college football
power rankings after Monday's shocking 28-7 loss at Duke.
That would be No. 25. "This was supposed to be the start of a new era for the Tigers. Dabo Swinney fired Brandon Streeter as offensive coordinator and brought in the hottest name on the market, Garrett Riley," said ESPN's David Hale. "QB DJ Uiagalelei, who shouldered much of the blame for Clemson's offensive struggles in 2021 and 2022, transferred to Oregon State, and the keys to the offense were handed to Cade Klubnik. And Monday was to be the grand unveiling. Instead, it was more of the same. Klubnik struggled mightily, the receivers were rarely open and mistakes abounded. Four trips into the red zone resulted in zero points, and turnovers handed Duke several prime opportunities. If 2023 was supposed to be a rebirth, Monday sure looked a lot more like a step backward." Duke went from unranked to No. 19. Florida State, which comes to Clemson for a September 23 game, moved five spots to No. 2 overall after dominating a Top-5-ranked LSU in Orlando. "It is hard to remember the last time the Seminoles completely dismantled an opponent the way they did LSU in the second half of a 45-24 victory on Sunday night. It may very well have been during the 2013 national championship season, and this just happens to be its 10-year anniversary," ESPN's Andrea Adelson said. Georgia leads the way, with FSU, Michigan, Alabama and Southern Cal rounding out the Top 5. More 2023 Clemson opponents ahead in the list include Notre Dame (13) and North Carolina (14), which both come to Clemson in November. The aforementioned Uiagalelei and Oregon State are No. 15.
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