No. 10 Clemson Tigers

Editor’s Note: Beginning every May 1, Athlon Sports counts toward the release of its College Football Annuals by releasing one spot in its Top 25 every weekday for five weeks. The No. 1 team will be revealed June 4. Check AthlonSports.com every day to see who’s next in the countdown. The 2008 College Football Annuals hit newsstands June 3rd.

If ever the stars were aligned for that elusive ACC title for Clemson during the Tommy Bowden era, it’s now. With weapons like Cullen Harper — one of the most accurate passers in the game — and the lethal one-two tailback punch of James Davis and C.J. Spiller, Tommy’s Tigers should ring in the New Year with their first BCS bid.

Harper is a 65-percent passer who threw for 2,991 yards and 27 touchdowns last fall. And his favorite targets both return in wideouts Aaron Kelly and Tyler Grisham, who combined for 148 receptions and 15 touchdowns. Davis and Spiller have shredded opponents’ defenses for 4,836 career rushing yards and 49 touchdowns between them, and both can score from anywhere on the field. A question mark looms up front, however, with only one O-Line starter back from last year.

Defensive coordinator Vic Koenning has eight returning starters to work with, but leading tackler Nick Watkins and sack man Phillip Merling aren’t among them. The top returning tacklers are safeties Michael Hamlin and Chris Clemons. Hamlin and cornerback returnee Chris Chancellor nabbed four interceptions apiece in ’07. And the three returning starters in the front four — end Ricky Sapp and tackles Dorell Scott and Rashaad Jackson — broke through for 22 tackles behind the line last season.

The 2008 schedule is sandwiched between games against SEC teams — opening in the Georgia Dome against Alabama and closing at home with South Carolina. The Tigers must travel to Wake Forest and Florida State this year, but defending league champion Virginia Tech is absent from the slate.

Ball protection Clemson gave up only 12 turnovers in 13 games last fall, ranking second in the nation.

Lighting it up The Tigers scored 430 points last season, a new school record.

Stubborn Clemson finished 2007 ranked ninth in the nation in total defense (306.8 yards per game) and tied for 10th in scoring defense (18.7 points per game).

Clemson superlatives:

WR Aaron Kelly is named Second-Team All-America and First-Team All-ACC.

QB Cullen Harper, RB James Davis, C Thomas Austin, DL Dorell Scott, S Michael Hamlin and KR C.J. Spiller are named First-Team All-ACC.

RB C.J. Spiller, CB Chris Chancellor, S Chris Clemons, K Mark Buchholz and PR Jacoby Ford are named Second-Team All-ACC.

DL Ricky Sapp joins the All-ACC Third Team.

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You can read the entire Clemson preview in the 2008 Athlon Sports College Football magazine, available for purchase now at the Athlon Sports store.

Also coming to AthlonSports.com this summer:
— Top 25 Heisman Hopefuls
— Live chats with Athlon editors
— Conference-preview videocasts
— Launch of the 2009 Athlon Consensus 100
— Athlon's college fantasy football draft kit

Other in-season offerings:
— Previews for every college football game
— Fantasy games
— Sideline Spirit voting
— Scenes From Saturday
— Updated Athlon 119
— Much more

Be sure to return to AthlonSports.com after June 15 when complete team previews for all 119 teams will be available.

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