INDIANAPOLIS (AP) – Clemson jumped to the top of the class in the first College Football Playoff rankings.
The Tigers are also getting their work done in the classroom.
According to the latest Graduation Success Rates released Wednesday by the NCAA, TCU, Clemson and Ohio State have the best numbers of the still-unbeaten teams in the Bowl Subdivision. TCU came in at 83.8 percent, Clemson was next at 83.6 and defending national champion Ohio State was third at 81.3 percent.
This year’s release covers incoming freshmen classes from 2005-08 and calculates the percentage of all athletes who earned a degree within six years of entering school.
“To me that’s the true standard. It’s nice to be No. 1 and win games but that’s my true scorecard,” Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said, noting that 115 of his 120 seniors have earned a degree. “”We have a deep-rooted culture here so it’s not a shock to players when they have to go to class. Not everyone is serious about it, but we are.”