Clemson ranked No. 3 in updated AP Poll

by TigerNet Staff - Sun Nov 24 14:05:52 GMT-04:00 2019

Undefeated LSU stayed atop the Associated Press Top 25 for a fifth-straight week after the top-5 in the ranking either won or didn’t play this week.

The Bayou Bengals had little trouble with Arkansas in a 56-20 win, while No. 2 Ohio State held off No. 8 Penn State, 28-17 -- and No. 4 Georgia did the same at home with Texas A&M, 19-13, with No. 3 Clemson on a bye week ahead of its rivalry game at South Carolina on Saturday (noon/ESPN). Alabama rounds out the new-and-old top-5 after a 66-3 win over FCS-level Western Carolina.

Clemson’s potential strength of schedule saw a boost this week with Virginia Tech entering the rankings at No. 23 and Virginia sitting just outside (No. 27 in votes). Virginia hosts Virginia Tech on Friday (noon/ESPN) and the winner will play Clemson the next week in Charlotte’s ACC Championship (7:30 p.m. on Dec. 7/ABC).

Looking ahead to Tuesday’s new CFP ranking (7 p.m./ESPN), LSU probably holds on to the top spot with its No. 1-rated strength of record and No. 2 mark in game control. Ohio State has had the top spot in that committee poll before, however, and holds the No. 2 strength of record and the No. 1 spot for both the ESPN Football Power Index and SP+ total efficiency rankings. Clemson’s strength of record is ranked fourth and its game control is right behind Ohio State and and LSU (3), having a No. 2 mark in the FPI and the No. 4 spot in SP+.

AP Poll - 11/24

RANK TEAM PV RANK POINTS

1 LSU (11-0) 1 1,537

2 Ohio State (11-0) 2 1,486

3 Clemson (11-0) 3 1,440

4 Georgia (10-1) 4 1,347

5 Alabama (10-1) 5 1,283

6 Utah (10-1) 7 1,231

7 Oklahoma (10-1) 8 1,189

8 Florida (9-2) 10 1,058

9 Minnesota (10-1) 11 996

10 Michigan (9-2) 12 913