College Football Rankings 2021: Projected AP Top 25 for Week 2

For the first time in a decade, Clemson has lost two straight games. After getting outperformed by Ohio State in an offensive shootout at the Sugar Bowl on New Year’s Day, Dabo Swinney’s team turned around and fell in a defensive battle on neutral turf in Charlotte. Though they were the higher-ranked team in the top-five showdown against Georgia, the Tigers looked listless and struggling to find their identity.

Trevor Lawrence won’t be back to save the team now that he has moved on to the NFL. His replacement under center, D.J. Uiagalelei, completed barely half of his pass attempts as he finished 19-of-37 for 178 yards and a pick-six. That was a solid day compared to the running game. Even subtracting Georgia’s seven sacks, the Tigers managed to gain only 48 yards on 16 carries as they clearly missed Travis Etienne.

The defense fared far better. While Clemson failed to score an offensive touchdown in Charlotte, Georgia was also unable to find the endzone when they had the football. The Tigers held the Bulldogs to only 256 total yards of offense, a sign that they aren’t completely out of the race.

Losing to another top-five team won’t cause Clemson to completely drop out of the AP Top 25, especially given the close nature of the game. The Tigers will fall out of the top five, but will probably remain in somewhere in the top 10 as they look to rebound in Week 2 against FCS South Carolina State.