College Football Rankings 2016: Projected AP Top 25 after Week 7
By Zach Bigalke
The pollsters could drop Clemson a couple of spots in this week’s AP Top 25 after they needed overtime to hold off an upset bid by NC State. The Wolfpack kept Clemson’s running game in check all day, holding the Tigers to 3.0 yards per carry. But Deshaun Watson completed 75 percent of his 52 attempts for 378 yards and two toucdhwons, including the game winner in overtime. NC State had a chance to win the game at the end of regulation, but kicker Kyle Bambard booted the ball wide right and Dabo Swinney’s team managed to stay undefeated.
The Tigers remain undefeated, but AP voters could still move them down after they’ve looked far less dominant than Michigan and Washington in recent weeks. The ACC Atlantic leaders still have time to bump back up, though. Clemson gets a weekend off next week before heading to Tallahassee to play Florida State on the last weekend of October. The rest of the ACC schedule features Syracuse and Pitt at home to begin November, before finishing conference play at Wake Forest. The season ends with the Battle for the Palmetto State against South Carolina.