Having made six straight appearances in the College Football Playoff, Clemson figured to start the 2021 season at or near where it has finished the last handful of seasons.
That designation is now official.
The Tigers were ranked No. 2 in the AFCA preseason coaches poll released Tuesday. Clemson went 10-2 last season en route to its sixth consecutive ACC title before falling to Ohio State in the CFP semifinals.
Clemson will open the season against Georgia on Sept. 4 in the Duke’s Mayo Classic in Charlotte.
Check out the full preseason coaches poll below.
| 1 | Alabama | 0-0 | 1621 | 63 | NR | — | 1/1 |
| 2 | Clemson | 0-0 | 1508 | 0 | NR | — | 2/2 |
| 3 | Oklahoma | 0-0 | 1481 | 2 | NR | — | 3/3 |
| 4 | Ohio State | 0-0 | 1435 | 0 | NR | — | 4/4 |
| 5 | Georgia | 0-0 | 1386 | 0 | NR | — | 5/5 |
| 6 | Texas A&M | 0-0 | 1286 | 0 | NR | — | 6/6 |
| 7 | Notre Dame | 0-0 | 1139 | 0 | NR | — | 7/7 |
| 8 | Iowa State | 0-0 | 1131 | 0 | NR | — | 8/8 |
| 9 | North Carolina | 0-0 | 999 | 0 | NR | — | 9/9 |
| 10 | Cincinnati | 0-0 | 979 | 0 | NR | — | 10/10 |
| 11 | Florida | 0-0 | 870 | 0 | NR | — | 11/11 |
| 12 | Oregon | 0-0 | 842 | 0 | NR | — | 12/12 |
| 13 | Louisiana State | 0-0 | 664 | 0 | NR | — | 13/13 |
| 14 | Southern California | 0-0 | 655 | 0 | NR | — | 14/14 |
| 15 | Wisconsin | 0-0 | 654 | 0 | NR | — | 15/15 |
| 16 | Miami | 0-0 | 575 | 0 | NR | — | 16/16 |
| 17 | Indiana | 0-0 | 573 | 0 | NR | — | 17/17 |
| 18 | Iowa | 0-0 | 554 | 0 | NR | — | 18/18 |
| 19 | Texas | 0-0 | 427 | 0 | NR | — | 19/19 |
| 20 | Penn State | 0-0 | 422 | 0 | NR | — | 20/20 |
| 21 | Washington | 0-0 | 404 | 0 | NR | — | 21/21 |
| 22 | Oklahoma State | 0-0 | 216 | 0 | NR | — | 22/22 |
| 23 | UL Lafayette | 0-0 | 153 | 0 | NR | — | 23/23 |
| 24 | Coastal Carolina | 0-0 | 150 | 0 | NR | — | 24/24 |
| 25 | Mississippi | 0-0 | 149 | 0 | NR | — | 25/25 |