CLEMSON, S.C. — Another national publication picked Clemson to be one of the top contenders for this year’s College Football Playoff.
Lindy’s, one of the oldest preseason magazines on newsstands, ranks the Tigers No. 4 in its preseason top 25 poll. The magazine’s staff of writers and contributors ranked Alabama No. 1 in its poll, followed by Ohio State, Georgia, Clemson and Texas A&M to round out its top 5. Michigan, Utah, Notre Dame, Oklahoma State and Oklahoma close the top 10.
The Tigers, who finished 10-3 in 2021, are also ranked No. 4 by ESPN and Athlon Sports so far in the preseason.
Other teams from the ACC in Lindy’s top 25 include Miami at No. 14, NC State at No. 15 and Wake Forest at No. 18. Clemson plays all three teams this coming season.
The preseason magazine says the good news for the Tigers is the fact they return a defense that is loaded with NFL talent, especially on the defensive line with guys like Bryan Bresee, Tyler Davis, Myles Murphy, Xavier Thomas and K.J. Henry.
Clemson also has one of the best running back rooms in the country, including last year’s leading rusher Will Shipley. The question is can DJ Uiagalelei reach his potential at quarterback and will the offensive line show improvement.
Also, Lindy’s wonders whether Brandon Streeter and Wes Goodwin can replace Tony Elliott and Brent Venables as offensive and defensive coordinators.
The Tigers return 37 players who have started at least one game, experience few teams in college football have. Plus, the defense is elite, as eight starters return from a unit that ranked second nationally in scoring defense in 2021 and in the top 10 in total and rushing defense.
