The Clemson Tigers struggled against the Troy Trojans in the first half of Saturday's contest. However, the program was able to pull away in the second half after scoring 24 unanswered points to earn a 27-16 win in Week 2. Despite the victory, it appears the team has taken a dive in the latest AP Top 25 poll.
Clemson dropped four spots in the AP Top 25 poll. After entering Week 2 as the No. 8-ranked team on the list, the Tigers are now ranked No. 12. Dabo Swinney's team had the second-largest drop in the rankings, with the Michigan Wolverines dropping eight spots.
What is likely keeping Clemson within the top 12 is the fact that its only loss on the season so far comes from the No. 3 LSU Tigers. It'll be interesting to see how Swinney and his team continue in the 2025-26 campaign. The Tigers have already faced plenty of criticism just two games into the season, as many have pointed to quarterback Cade Klubnik being a potential problem for the team.
Klubnik ended Week 2 with 196 passing yards, two touchdowns, and an interception while completing 18 out of 24 throws. But it was running back Adam Randall who led the charge for Clemson after racking up 112 rushing yards and a touchdown off 21 attempts. The defense proved to be the difference, though, as Clemson forced Troy quarterback Will Crowder to throw three interceptions.
The Tigers will have a chance to win their second consecutive game in Week 3 when they take on the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. Georgia Tech is 2-0 on the season right now, coming off big wins over Colorado and Gardner-Webb. It's an opportunity for Clemson to potentially right the ship with ACC games right around the corner.
