It’s been a while since both sides of the Clemson-South Carolina rivalry have been well-represented in the preseason top 25 polls.
Prior to Monday’s release of the preseason US LBM Coaches Poll, the last time that both Clemson and South Carolina were ranked in the top 15 entering the season was in 2013. That year, the Gamecocks and Tigers were ranked side by side with South Carolina at No. 7 and Clemson at No. 8.
The Tigers went 11-2, closing the year with a thrilling win over Ohio State in the Orange Bowl. Dabo Swinney’s program was still on the eve of its dynastic run of six straight trips to the four-team College Football Playoff. In that span, Clemson won two national championships and played in four national title games.
South Carolina had a good season in 2013, too. Under Steve Spurrier, the Gamecocks also finished 11-2 and memorably defeated Clemson for the fifth straight year. While the Tigers finished at No. 7 in the final Coaches Poll, South Carolina had its highest finish in program history at No. 4.
It was the last laugh Spurrier’s Gamecocks would get on Swinney and Clemson. South Carolina debuted at No. 9 in the preseason poll in 2014 but sputtered to a 6-6 season. The Tigers finished 10-3 that year and began a seven-year winning streak against their in-state rivals in Columbia.
Until Monday, the Gamecocks hadn’t cracked the preseason top 25 since their top 10 ranking 11 years earlier. Clemson was ranked No. 6 in the 2025 preseason poll, with South Carolina at No. 13.
But not everyone agrees with the coaches’ decisions on the two rivals’ rankings heading into the 2025 college football season.
CBS Sports analyst Will Backus is one such example. In his top 25 rankings reactions on Monday, Backus shared that he believes the Tigers deserve a spot in the top five and explained:
“Clemson did receive two first-place…
Source link : https://clemsonwire.usatoday.com/story/sports/college/clemson/football/2025/08/04/clemson-football-south-carolina-rivalry-preseason-coaches-poll-reactions-cbs-sports/85516225007/
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Publish date : 2025-08-04 22:54:00
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