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Clemson Football: Ohio State receiving first-place votes despite not playing a game

By Shawn Spencer

GLENDALE, ARIZONA - DECEMBER 28: Justin Fields #1 of the Ohio State Buckeyes attempts a pass under pressure from Logan Rudolph #34 of the Clemson Tigers in the first half during the College Football Playoff Semifinal at the PlayStation Fiesta Bowl at State Farm Stadium on December 28, 2019 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
GLENDALE, ARIZONA - DECEMBER 28: Justin Fields #1 of the Ohio State Buckeyes attempts a pass under pressure from Logan Rudolph #34 of the Clemson Tigers in the first half during the College Football Playoff Semifinal at the PlayStation Fiesta Bowl at State Farm Stadium on December 28, 2019 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /
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The competition for Clemson football during the 2020 season is clear

Despite not even playing a game and not being scheduled to play for a month, Ohio State is already taking away first-place votes from Clemson football.

In the updated AP Poll, voters were allowed to include both Big Ten and Pac-12 teams after the two conferences announced that they would be starting their seasons later this fall, albeit not until late October for the Big Ten and early November for the Pac-12.

That meant we would see the Ohio State Buckeyes soar up the rankings and take a total of four first-place votes away from Clemson football. The first-place voting count now has the Tigers with 55, Alabama with 3 and Ohio State with 4.

Here’s a look at the updated AP Poll through Week 5:

  1. Clemson
  2. Alabama
  3. Florida
  4. Georgia
  5. Notre Dame
  6. Ohio State
  7. Auburn
  8. Miami
  9. Texas
  10. Penn State

AP Poll continuing to show its irrelevance to Clemson football

You can rank teams that have played all you want, but I’m not sure how it is fair by any stretch to rank teams that aren’t scheduled to play for a month.

You’re telling me that Ohio State will now move up in the poll when Florida, Georgia or Notre Dame loses a game. How will teams like Texas, Miami, UCF or North Carolina have an opportunity to move up at all when you’re stacking your poll with several teams that won’t even be playing for a month?

You can’t drop teams that don’t play and it’s basically set up Ohio State and Penn State to start inside the top-7 to begin the season, play less games and have a greater opportunity to make the CFB Playoff- because the committee does look at the AP Poll, whether you believe it or not- with less of a challenge than these other programs.

CBS analyst predicts Ohio State over Clemson. light. Related Story

When Ohio State plays its first game, Clemson could be 6-0. Do you how ridiculous it sounds that there are voters who are already placing the Buckeyes ahead of the Tigers without even seeing one ounce of the product on the field?

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