Here’s where Clemson, USC rank in CBS preseason college football poll
CBS Sports released its preseason college football rankings for 2022 on Tuesday, which placed Clemson and South Carolina among the 131 FBS teams.
Clemson finished the highest of any ACC team, sitting at No. 5 overall.
South Carolina came in at No. 53, behind 11 other SEC teams (and ahead of Missouri, 67; and Vanderbilt, 113.).
The Tigers were picked by the media to win the ACC in 2022, so their ranking in the CBS poll comes as no surprise. The team went 10-3 last season and finished tied for second in the ACC’s Atlantic Division.
In 2022, Clemson will face four teams ranked in CBS’ preseason Top 25, including N.C. State, Miami and Wake Forest in the ACC as well as Notre Dame. South Carolina will face six teams in that top grouping, including Georgia, Texas A&M, Arkansas, Kentucky, Tennessee and Clemson.
USC went 7-6 last season and was picked to finish fifth in the SEC East for 2022 by league media. A “way too early” poll from ESPN in January ranked the Gamecocks No. 25 — Clemson was No. 11 — though USC was not among ESPN’s Top 25 that was updated in May.
Clemson ended last season ranked No. 14 in The Associated Press Top 25, closing with a win in the Cheez-It Bowl against Iowa State. South Carolina finished unranked but defeated North Carolina in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl.
The AP Top 25 preseason ranking for 2022 releases on Aug. 15.
The Gamecocks will visit Clemson in the regular season finale on Nov. 26.
This story was originally published August 2, 2022 at 4:03 PM.
