It is crazy to imagine, but in each of the last six years, Clemson has equaled or exceeded its preseason rankings, including last year’s No. 2 preseason ranking. Of course the Tigers topped their No. 2 ranking in the Amway Coaches’ Preseason Poll by finishing as national champions in 2016.
Clemson has exceeded its preseason ranking each of the last six years in the coaches poll and has exceeded its preseason ranking in the Associated Poll five of the last six times. Clemson was picked eighth in the AP preseason poll in 2013 and finished No. 8.
But like Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney likes to say, that was last year, and though those streaks are nice, they have nothing to do with what the Tigers will try to accomplish in 2017.