Clemson Football: Even CBS Sports has Tigers as solid No. 1 to begin season

Even CBS Sports has Clemson football No. 1 to begin the 2020 season

Everyone knows that the 2020 Clemson football team should be a heavy favorite and even CBS Sports is acknowledging as much in their preseason rankings.

CBS Sports released its updated rankings for the upcoming College Football season, ranking all 76 teams that are still set to play after many opt-outs across the nation, most notably the Big Ten and Pac-12.

With the Big Ten out, Clemson’s main competition for the top spot- Ohio State– is now gone and that has left the door open for the Tigers to enter the year as heavy favorites with a familiar foe coming in right behind them.

And even CBS Sports- a network that has long been more-than-friendly to SEC teams and less-than-friendly to ACC teams- is acknowledging that fact.

Here’s a look at the adjusted Top-15 from CBS heading into the season:

1. Clemson
2. Alabama
3. Oklahoma
4. Georgia
5. Florida
6. LSU
7. Notre Dame
8. Auburn
9. Texas A&M
10. Oklahoma State
11. Texas
12. North Carolina
13. Cincinnati
14. Memphis
15. UCF

It’s Clemson football and then there’s everybody else

There is a clear hierarchy coming into this season and, with Ohio State out, it’s become more prevalent: It’s Clemson and then everybody else.

Yes, Alabama is close second. Yes, Georgia, Florida, LSU, Oklahoma and Notre Dame could make a run.

But the Tigers enter this season as heavy favorites for a reason and that’s not going away when you have veteran stars like Trevor Lawrence and Travis Etienne leading the pack. Clemson is going to be a heavy favorite in every single game it plays during the regular season and the Tigers will have an opportunity to make their sixth-straight CFB Playoff appearance later this year, assuming things go according to plan.

What do you think of CBS Sports’ rankings for the season, Tiger fans? Comment below with your thoughts and what teams you’re most excited to see this year.