COLUMBIA, SC (WIS) -
USA Today released their annual preseason Coaches Poll and according to the list, South Carolina and Clemson are among the nation's top 15 teams.
Coming in at number 9, the Gamecocks find themselves just three spots below last year's SEC East champions, the Georgia Bulldogs, who sit at number 6.
Expectations for South Carolina are high this year with last year being the team's most successful in Gamecocks history thanks to 10 regular season wins and a victory at the Capital One Bowl against Nebraska.
Meanwhile, the Clemson Tigers came in at number 14 with perennial ACC favorite Florida State above them at number 7.
The Tigers are coming off a successful 2011 campaign themselves. Last season, Clemson won the ACC for the first time since 1991 thanks to one of the most productive quarterback-wide receiver duos in college football in Tajh Boyd and Sammy Watkins.
Meanwhile, back at the top of the list, LSU and Alabama are the consensus number 1 and number 2 teams in the country. Southern California, Oklahoma, and Oregon round out the top five.
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