The Clemson Tigers got a must-win 24-14 victory over the Virginia Tech Hokies Saturday at Lane Stadium to keep their College Football Playoff hopes alive after a wild Saturday of Top 25 action.
The Tigers (7-2 overall, 6-1 ACC) moved up one spot to No. 16 in the new US LBM Coaches Poll rankings, released Sunday.
Clemson moved past the LSU Tigers (6-3), who suffered a 42-13 blowout loss to the Alabama Crimson Tide (7-2) in Baton Rouge. Dabo Swinney’s team is ranked one spot below the No. 15 Texas A&M Aggies and one spot ahead of No. 17 Army.
Cade Klubnik and the Tigers overcame a scoreless first half to score 24 straight points against Virginia Tech in the second half. Klubnik threw three touchdown passes as Clemson built a commanding 24-7 lead late in the fourth quarter.
The Tigers’ defense held Virginia Tech to 228 yards, 75 of which came during a late touchdown drive with the game out of reach.
Clemson was ranked No. 23 in the initial College Football Playoff rankings, released on Tuesday. The Tigers got a boost to their ACC title hopes Saturday when the Miami Hurricanes suffered a 28-23 upset road loss to Georgia Tech.
The Tigers would need another Miami loss or an SMU loss to have a shot at reaching the ACC Championship Game in Charlotte.
RELATED: How Clemson overcame early struggles to beat Virginia Tech, keep CFP hopes alive
The Oregon Ducks (10-0) remained No. 1 in the Coaches Poll for the fourth consecutive week after their 39-18 win over the Maryland Terrapins in Eugene. The Ohio State Buckeyes (8-1) moved up one spot to No. 2 after routing Purdue, 45-0, at Ohio Stadium.
The Texas Longhorns (8-1) rose one spot as well, up to No. 3 after a dominant win over the Florida Gators. The Tennessee Volunteers (8-1) moved into the top five, climbing two spots to No. 4 with the Penn State Nittany Lions (8-1) rounding out the top five.
Full Week 11 US LBM Coaches Poll rankings:
| Rank | Team | Record | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oregon Ducks | 10-0 | 1,375 (55) |
| 2 | Ohio State Buckeyes | 8-1 | 1,314 |
| 3 | Texas Longhorns | 8-1 | 1,262 |
| 4 | Tennessee Volunteers | 8-1 | 1,138 |
| 5 | Penn State Nittany Lions | 8-1 | 1,113 |
| 6 | Indiana Hoosiers | 10-0 | 1,057 |
| 7 | Notre Dame Fighting Irish | 8-1 | 1,038 |
| 8 | BYU Cougars | 9-0 | 994 |
| 9 | Alabama Crimson Tide | 7-2 | 899 |
| 10 | Georgia Bulldogs | 7-2 | 887 |
| 11 | Ole Miss Rebels | 8-2 | 877 |
| 12 | Miami Hurricanes | 9-1 | 820 |
| 13 | SMU Mustangs | 8-1 | 691 |
| 13 | Boise State Broncos | 8-1 | 691 |
| 15 | Texas A&M Aggies | 7-2 | 597 |
| 16 | Clemson Tigers | 7-2 | 536 |
| 17 | Army Black Knights | 9-0 | 466 |
| 18 | Washington State Cougars | 8-1 | 385 |
| 19 | Kansas State Wildcats | 7-2 | 332 |
| 20 | Colorado Buffaloes | 7-2 | 329 |
| 21 | Missouri Tigers | 7-2 | 277 |
| 22 | LSU Tigers | 6-3 | 257 |
| 23 | South Carolina Gamecocks | 6-3 | 118 |
| 24 | Louisville Cardinals | 6-3 | 109 |
| 25 | Iowa State Cyclones | 7-2 | 92 |
Clemson Football Schedule 2024
The Tigers will face the Pitt Panthers next Saturday at Acrisure Stadium at noon ET. The game will be televised on ESPN.
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