On his *Always College Football* show, ESPN analyst Greg McElroy shared his top 15 college football teams heading into Week 7 of the season. McElroy regularly evaluates the rankings to determine what they “should be,” and he currently places Clemson (4-1, 3-0 ACC) just outside the top 10 at No. 11.
McElroy’s take on Clemson is straightforward: “Clemson hasn’t beaten anybody. They haven’t.” He noted that while the Tigers have secured four consecutive victories following their season-opening loss to Georgia, including wins over App State, NC State, Stanford, and Florida State, those wins don’t carry much weight in terms of strength of schedule. However, McElroy also acknowledged that Clemson looks formidable on the field, stating, “But they sure look good, don’t they? They sure look like a team you would not want to play right now.”
In McElroy’s rankings, Georgia holds the No. 6 spot, trailing a top five made up of Texas at No. 1, Ohio State at No. 2, Penn State at No. 3, Oregon at No. 4, and Alabama rounding out the top five at No. 5. Miami, at No. 7, sits four spots ahead of Clemson in McElroy’s standings.
Despite McElroy’s placement of Clemson at No. 11, the Tigers are ranked No. 10 in the AP Top 25 and No. 11 in the Coaches Poll as they prepare for their Week 7 game against Wake Forest (2-3, 1-1 ACC) in Winston-Salem, N.C., this Saturday. Clemson’s consistent performance since their opening loss has earned them a solid standing in national polls, but McElroy’s ranking reflects his belief that their resume lacks a signature win over a highly ranked opponent.
Below is McElroy’s full top 15 rankings as he sees them currently:
1. Texas
2. Ohio State
3. Penn State
4. Oregon
5. Alabama
6. Georgia
7. Miami
8. Tennessee
9. BYU
10. Notre Dame
11. Clemson
12. Ole Miss
13. Iowa State
14. Texas A&M
15. LSU
McElroy’s rankings and commentary offer a glimpse into how he perceives the strength and potential of college football teams at this stage of the season.
