AP Top 25 voter dropped Clemson after 49-0 win, moved Alabama to No. 1

SANTA CLARA, CA - JANUARY 07: Trevor Lawrence #16 of the Clemson Tigers takes the snap against the Alabama Crimson Tide during the College Football Playoff National Championship held at Levi's Stadium on January 7, 2019 in Santa Clara, California. The Clemson Tigers defeated the Alabama Crimson Tide 44-16. (Photo by Jamie Schwaberow/Getty Images) /

One AP Top 25 voter was more impressed by Alabama not playing than by Clemson’s 49-0 win over The Citadel and cast his vote for Alabama to be the No. 1 team in the nation.

The AP Top 25 is a bit different this year given the fact not all conferences are playing at the same time. That saw Big Ten and Pac-12 teams dropped from the rankings after the initial set was released. The SEC is preparing to begin play this weekend and that has Alabama at No. 2. In fact, one voter even put the team at No. 1 overall ahead of 2-0 Clemson. That seems like a bit of a stretch.

How can Alabama which hasn’t played a game be more impressive than Clemson who has looked like an unstoppable force in two games? Make it make sense

The voter was revealed to be Pat Dooley of the Gainesville Sun. He was the only one of 60 voters to put the Crimson Tide ahead of the Tigers.

Clemson is 2-0 on the season and fresh off a 49-0 rout of The Citadel. This comes one week after the team picked up a conference win over Wake Forest to open the season.

The AP rankings also see 2-0 Notre Dame ranked No. 7 overall behind three SEC teams who have not yet played a game. A team like Ohio State may also be jumping undefeated teams in the standings once the Big Ten season gets closer to starting.

Alabama opens the season this Saturday with a game at Missouri. Clemson has an open week and a big win by the Crimson Tide may see the team steal more first-place votes from the Tigers.

Clemson is still the overwhelming pick at No. 1 overall so Dooley’s vote is not some landscape-altering decision. However, it does provide some evidence that Alabama is still considered a favorite to win a national championship this year. Their first big test comes on October 3 against a No. 10 ranked Texas A&M team. Starting 2-0 against tougher competition could mean Alabama ultimately jumps Clemson rather soon.

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