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The computers have spoken, and they are, to put it bluntly, wrong.
In the world of spreadsheets and algorithms that spits out ESPN's preseason Football Power Index, the Clemson Tigers are staring at a No. 11 ranking. It’s a respectable spot for most programs, but for a team loaded with proven, returning talent, it’s a slap in the face.
And ESPN college football insider Heather Dinich isn't having it.
"I don't know how they're outside the top 10," Dinich stated emphatically. "To me, [they] should be a top five team."
Her argument isn't based on a feeling or a hunch. It's a direct challenge to the very philosophy of modern preseason rankings. In an era dominated by transfer portal roulette and hype trains for quarterbacks who have never started a collegiate game, Dinich believes the focus should be on a simple, old-school metric: what you know you have.
"The preseason rankings should be based on what you know you have coming back," she argued, "not what you think you might have through the transfer portal, or a hyped up quarterback who's never started a game before."
And what Clemson has coming back starts and ends with two of the most important factors in championship football: elite quarterback play and a dominant defensive line.
The Tigers have a certified stud in quarterback Cade Klubnik. Forget projecting his growth; the NFL is already watching. ESPN NFL Draft analyst Jordan Reid was so impressed with Klubnik's tools that he tabbed him as the No. 1 overall pick in his initial 2026 NFL mock draft. That's not potential; that's premium, verified talent returning to lead an offense that also features a stable of gifted wide receivers.
On the other side of the ball, the story is just as compelling. Clemson boasts what Dinich calls "one of the best defensive lines in the country," a unit capable of wrecking game plans and terrorizing opposing backfields week in and week out.
When you combine a top-tier NFL prospect at quarterback with a ferocious, game-changing defense, you don't get the 11th-best team in the country. You get a legitimate contender.
"These Tigers should be a top 10 team," Dinich concluded. "Without a doubt, this preseason."
The FPI may love the shiny new toys and the what-if scenarios. But on paper, where it matters, Clemson has the proven commodities and the elite bookends of a championship-caliber roster. The numbers might say No. 11, but the eye test screams top five.
More must-reads:
- Oregon suspends former five-star WR recruit indefinitely
- Notre Dame believed to be trending toward surprise choice at quarterback
- The '2023 NFL AP second-team All-Pro' quiz
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