After a Week 13 filled with wild Top 25 upsets, the Clemson Tigers surged in the new US LBM Coaches Poll, released Sunday.
Clemson (9-2 overall) rose four spots to No. 12 in the Week 13 Coaches Poll. The Tigers are ranked one spot below No. 11 Boise State (10-1) and are one spot ahead of the No. 13 Alabama Crimson Tide (8-3).
Cade Klubnik and the Tigers defeated The Citadel, 51-14, Saturday on Senior Day in Death Valley. Dabo Swinney’s team certainly got some help from other teams to move up; four teams that were ranked ahead of Clemson lost, three of which were SEC teams.
Previously seventh-ranked Alabama suffered a stunning 24-3 loss to the Oklahoma Sooners Saturday, while the Ole Miss Rebels (then No. 9) fell 24-17 to the Florida Gators. The Texas A&M Aggies (previously No. 14) fell 43-41 in four overtimes to the Auburn Tigers.
South Carolina (8-3) was another big riser in this week’s Coaches Poll. LaNorris Sellers and the Gamecocks moved up five spots to land two spots below Clemson at No. 14. The Tigers and Gamecocks will meet next Saturday in Death Valley with Clemson looking for some last-minute help to get to the ACC title game.
Kickoff for Clemson vs. South Carolina is set for noon ET. The game will be televised on ESPN.
The Miami Hurricanes (10-1, 6-1) rose three spots to No. 7 after scoring 22 points in the fourth quarter to put away Wake Forest, 42-14. ACC leader SMU (10-1, 7-0) moved up three spots to No. 9, jumping into the Top 10 for the first time this season.
With a 33-7 win over the Virginia Cavaliers Saturday, SMU clinched a berth in the ACC Championship Game. Clemson will need a Syracuse upset of Miami next Saturday to reach Charlotte.
The top four of the poll remained the same with the Oregon Ducks (11-0) at No. 1 for the sixth straight week after a Week 13 bye. The Ohio State Buckeyes (10-1) stayed at No. 2 after a convincing 38-15 win over the previously unbeaten Indiana Hoosiers (10-1) in Columbus. Indiana fell five spots from No. 5 to No. 10.
The Texas Longhorns (10-1) stayed at No. 3 after their 31-14 win over the Kentucky Wildcats in Austin. Penn State (10-1) remained No. 4 after a narrow 26-25 win at Minnesota. Notre Dame (10-1) moved up to No. 5 after a 49-14 win over previously unbeaten Army (9-1).
Full Week 13 US LBM Coaches Poll
| Rank | Team | Record | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oregon Ducks | 11-0 | 1,375 (55) |
| 2 | Ohio State Buckeyes | 10-1 | 1,318 |
| 3 | Texas Longhorns | 10-1 | 1,267 |
| 4 | Penn State Nittany Lions | 10-1 | 1,175 |
| 5 | Notre Dame Fighting Irish | 10-1 | 1,150 |
| 6 | Georgia Bulldogs | 9-2 | 1,103 |
| 7 | Miami Hurricanes | 10-1 | 1,023 |
| 8 | Tennessee Volunteers | 9-2 | 972 |
| 9 | SMU Mustangs | 10-1 | 917 |
| 10 | Indiana Hoosiers | 10-1 | 867 |
| 11 | Boise State Broncos | 10-1 | 838 |
| 12 | Clemson Tigers | 9-2 | 780 |
| 13 | Alabama Crimson Tide | 8-3 | 621 |
| 14 | South Carolina Gamecocks | 8-3 | 596 |
| 15 | Arizona State Sun Devils | 9-2 | 592 |
| 16 | Ole Miss Rebels | 8-3 | 569 |
| 17 | Iowa State Cyclones | 9-2 | 473 |
| 18 | Tulane Green Wave | 9-2 | 434 |
| 19 | Texas A&M Aggies | 8-3 | 357 |
| 20 | BYU Cougars | 9-2 | 329 |
| 21 | UNLV Rebels | 9-2 | 205 |
| 22 | Army Black Knights | 9-1 | 165 |
| 23 | Memphis Tigers | 9-2 | 151 |
| 24 | Missouri Tigers | 8-3 | 148 |
| 25 | Illinois Fighting Illini | 8-3 | 132 |
Schools Dropped Out
No. 18 Colorado; No. 25 Kansas State
Others Receiving Votes
Kansas State 124; Colorado 115; Duke 31; Syracuse 19; Louisville 8; Louisiana 7; Washington State 6; LSU 3; Miami (OH) 1; James Madison 1; Iowa 1; Georgia Tech 1; Baylor 1