The Clemson’s football season took a turn for the worse right from the opening series, marked by a three-and-out ending in a sack. The team, which began the season ranked No. 4 in the AP preseason poll, has struggled to find its footing, resulting in a 1-2 start.

Their only victory was a narrow one in Week 2 against Troy, who jumped out to a 16-0 lead. The Trojans then lost at home to Memphis, managing only 112 yards of total offense in a 28-7 defeat.

Clemson also suffered a loss in their ACC opener at Georgia Tech. To reach the College Football Playoff, the Tigers will need to win every remaining game. A Week 4 home game against Syracuse might provide an opportunity to turn things around, but their performance in the first three games has earned them a spot in the Bottom 25.

the offense, which ranked 11th nationally last season with 451.9 yards per game, has dropped to 109th with 319.3 yards per game. The defense is also underperforming. Clemson is not the only ACC team struggling this week.

This year’s Bottom 25 formula has been adjusted to ensure portrayal from across the sport. Each of the Power Four leagues gets an automatic bid, and 10 Power Four schools must be represented.

Bottom 25 Rankings

^ Joined Bottom 25 this week

The ACC tier

the game between Boston College and Stanford was essentially a Bottom 25 play-in game. Boston College lost a 17-6 lead and fell 30-20. The game started at 10:30 p.m. Eastern.

25. Clemson^
24. Duke^
23. Colorado^
22. Northwestern (22)
21. Boston College^

Rapid descent

Florida started the season ranked No. 15 in the AP poll, while Kansas State was No. 17.

The Tigers will now be forced to run the table in order to reach the College Football Playoff.