Clemson will begin the 2026 college football season ranked inside the Top 25, but only barely.
The Tigers checked in at No. 23 in the preseason Coaches Poll released Tuesday by the American Football Coaches Association. Clemson received 235 points following a 7-6 campaign in 2025.
It is Clemson’s lowest preseason ranking in the Coaches Poll since 2011, adding another layer of intrigue as Dabo Swinney’s program attempts to rebound from one of its most disappointing seasons in recent memory.
The Tigers are one of three ACC teams included in the preseason rankings. Miami leads the conference at No. 7, while SMU begins the season at No. 20. Louisville was the first team outside the Top 25 with 153 points.
Clemson’s season opener will provide an immediate opportunity to change the national perception surrounding the program. The Tigers open the year against No. 13 LSU, which also finished 7-6 last season.
Ohio State claimed the preseason No. 1 ranking after receiving 38 first-place votes and 1,741 points. Oregon, Georgia, Texas and Notre Dame completed the top five.
Defending national champion Indiana received 14 first-place votes—the second-most of any team, but landed at No. 6. The Hoosiers finished the 2025 season with a perfect 16-0 record.
Six different programs received at least one first-place vote, with Ohio State, Oregon, Georgia, Texas, Notre Dame and Indiana each earning support at the top of the ballot.
The SEC placed nine teams in the preseason Top 25, while the Big Ten had eight. The ACC and Big 12 each had three ranked teams, with Notre Dame and Clemson’s opening opponent, LSU, accounting for the remaining spots.
2026 Preseason AFCA Coaches Poll
First-place votes are listed in parentheses.
| Rank | School | Points | 2025 Record |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ohio State (38) | 1,741 | 12-2 |
| 2 | Oregon (6) | 1,637 | 13-2 |
| 3 | Georgia (7) | 1,591 | 12-2 |
| 4 | Texas (2) | 1,544 | 10-3 |
| 5 | Notre Dame (5) | 1,524 | 10-2 |
| 6 | Indiana (14) | 1,522 | 16-0 |
| 7 | Miami | 1,409 | 13-3 |
| 8 | Texas A&M | 1,174 | 11-2 |
| 9 | Oklahoma | 1,104 | 10-3 |
| 10 | Ole Miss | 1,096 | 13-2 |
| 11 | Alabama | 1,050 | 11-4 |
| 12 | Texas Tech | 1,034 | 12-2 |
| 13 | LSU | 951 | 7-6 |
| 14 | Southern Cal | 838 | 9-4 |
| 15 | BYU | 781 | 12-2 |
| 16 | Michigan | 719 | 9-4 |
| 17 | Penn State | 463 | 7-6 |
| 18 | Tennessee | 428 | 8-5 |
| 19 | Washington | 406 | 9-4 |
| 20 | SMU | 378 | 9-4 |
| 21 | Utah | 313 | 11-2 |
| 22 | Iowa | 291 | 9-4 |
| 23 | Clemson | 235 | 7-6 |
| 24 | Houston | 194 | 10-3 |
| 25 | Missouri | 158 | 8-5 |
Among the other ACC programs receiving votes were Louisville, Virginia, Georgia Tech, Florida State, NC State, Virginia Tech, Duke, Pittsburgh and California. South Carolina received 50 points, tying Arizona for the fifth-highest total among teams outside the rankings.
