USA TODAY final Coaches Poll, 2021 early ranking |
| - Tuesday, January 12, 2021, 1:18 PM |
USA TODAY's final Coaches Poll and
early top-25 rankings share a No. 1 team in the Alabama Crimson Tide.
Clemson ranked third in the final Coaches Poll, behind Alabama and Ohio State and ahead of Texas A&M and Notre Dame in the top-5. UNC, at No. 17, and Miami, at No. 22, round out the ACC reps. In USA TODAY's early 2021 rankings, they slotted Clemson fourth behind Alabama, Georgia and Oklahoma. "Uiagalelei looked good in his two starts – a comeback win against Boston College and double-overtime loss at Notre Dame – to give people an early look at the post-Lawrence era," USA TODAY's Erick Smith writes. "Of greater concern is the departure of running back Travis Etienne and sorting out some wide receiver losses and issues along the offensive line. There’s tons of young talent in the pipeline, so nobody is going to feel bad for the Tigers. They’re still the clear favorite in the ACC, though the gap feels a bit closer." In that 2021 early look, UNC is the next-best out of the ACC at No. 11 and Miami at No. 19.
Projected top-5 teams Clemson and Georgia are scheduled to kick off their seasons in Charlotte's Bank of America Stadium on Sept. 4.
USA TODAY Coaches Poll - 1/12
1 Alabama 13-0 1500 60
2 Ohio State 7-1 1432
3 Clemson 10-2 1349
4 Texas A&M 9-1 1317
5 Notre Dame 10-2 1247
6 Oklahoma 9-2 1219
7 Georgia 8-2 1146
8 Cincinnati 9-1 1031
9 Iowa State 9-3 997
10 Northwestern 7-2 919
11 Brigham Young 11-1 796
12 Florida 8-4 766
13 Indiana 6-2 762
14 Coastal Carolina 11-1 649
15 Iowa 6-2 606
16 UL Lafayette 10-1 596
17 North Carolina 8-4 538
18 Liberty 10-1 476
19 Oklahoma State 8-3 456
20 Texas 7-3 402
21 Southern California 5-1 400
22 Miami 8-3 275
23 Ball State 7-1 157
24 San Jose State 7-1 100
25 Buffalo 6-1 51
Dropped out: No. 22 NC State; No. 25 Tulsa.
Others rec. votes: Wisconsin 38; Oregon 36; NC State 35; Army 34; Tulsa 30; Appalachian State 30; Nevada 17; Auburn 17; Memphis 14; Utah 11; Mississippi 10; West Virginia 7; Southern Methodist 7; Missouri 6; Colorado 6; Boise State 6; UAB 4; Washington 2; Marshall 2; Kentucky 1.
