Clemson Ranked 6th in Preseason Football Poll

Football season is months away, but it's never too early to dream, especially in the Palmetto State.

The Clemson Tigers are expected to crack the top 10 in most college football preseason polls. On Wednesday, they received their highest preseason ranking of the year so far, coming in at sixth in a ranking by Athlon Sports.

Meanwhile, the University of South Carolina Gamecocks are expected to crack Athlon's top-five preseason picks when the remainder of the poll is rolled out between now and May 28. Like the Tigers, USC also is expected to crack the top 10 in all if not most preseason polls. Though dark horses, both teams are being considered as possible BCS title contenders.

Athlon credits Clemson's high preseason rank to the return of senior QB Tajh Boyd, and an improved defense, among other things, saying Clemson should be the favorite to claim the ACC title.

"[Coach Dabo] Swinney believes he can bring the program’s second national title back to Death Valley. Is this the year? That remains unclear. But with a solid base of talent returning, Clemson fans have sky-high expectations," Athlon said in its analysis.

“I’m proud of what we have done, but there is so much more to do,” said Swinney. “We have realized some accomplishments that haven’t been done here in 20 or 30 years, but we have higher goals. This is a program that has the resources, the tradition, the fan support, the overall infrastructure to compete for the national championship.”

Read Athlon's analysis of Clemson here.

Are you buying all the preseason hype on the Tigers and Gamecocks? Sound off with your thoughts in the comments below.